We have our street sign approved, it's currently being crafted and, in turn, we're finally free to offer a grand opening date: Friday, April 29!
Also, this disclaimer: Your attendance is ... mandatory!
Backtracking a bit: We'd been waiting on approval of our street sign from the City of Pittsburgh's Planning Commission and the Historic Review Board, and we received both Wednesday while I was up in Buffalo covering hockey. With that, the Strip District company that's fabricating our sign began that process -- which generally takes about a month -- in earnest.
Why so long?
Every letter's hand-crafted individually. From there, the lighting/electrical components are infused. And from there, the sign's installed while our small portion of the Fifth Avenue sidewalk's shut down. (I'm picturing literally sitting there all day shooting pics/video of this thing going up while pedestrians are forced to walk around our little construction zone!)
Now, all that might get done before April 29, but we wanted to choose a date that was later in the month to be safe, as well as one on which both the Penguins and Pirates had home games -- they do, vs. Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena and vs. Padres at PNC Park -- to try to make it convenient for as many of you as possible to stop and see us beforehand. We'll be open that day beginning at 11 a.m., and all of us who are available -- myself included -- will be there to welcome you.
Hence ... mandatory!
Circle it on the calendar!
Make that plan now, whether it's just to see us or to make it a doubleheader and catch some hockey or baseball!
I'll be in comments, as ever, if there are any questions on the opening ... but I won't be accepting any rejections!
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
Quick video I whipped up for you very late last night on one of our countless trips to 224 Fifth:
As is evident, we don't have much left that doesn't involve the stocking of actual stuff. But that'll occur in the next couple of weeks, as well as the implementation of our video/audio presentations, the podcasting studio in the back and, in the most significant remaining step, the hand-done, one-by-one placement on the wall of the Building Bricks our readers bought.
We're getting there.
