Could Springdale Church’s donated Pittsburgh Christmas tree be the last from the property?
Share this post:
A reliable supply of towering Christmas trees for Pittsburgh’s annual display may come to an end Saturday after crews cut down two more evergreens from an old church in Springdale.
The city has sourced the centerpiece of its Light Up Night festivities from the former St. Alphonsus Church, owned by Guardian Angels Catholic Parish, three years running. As was the case last year, crews are chopping down two trees: one to display and another to strip for branches to fill in any gaps on the display tree.
That will leave only two giant evergreens on the property, but they’re not as healthy looking as the others, said Tom Babinsack, business manager for the parish.
“It seems like they’re ending their life anyway,” he said of all the blue spruces by the church. “If the two (remaining) are still in good shape, they’re probably going to get them next year, but I can’t say for sure.”
Many evergreens are struggling in Western Pennsylvania as climate change ushers in higher temperatures and more extreme rains. In general, these species prefer cool, dry conditions more characteristic of their native western mountains.
“It’s getting harder to find good, large candidates,” said Olga George, a spokesperson for Mayor Ed Gainey.
Each year, Pittsburgh’s Forestry Division must find a Christmas tree that fills out the portico of the City-County Building, which is about 60 feet at its highest point. This year’s tree is a little over 40 feet tall.
“The tree must be healthy in appearance, have bright green needles, a nice shape with full branches and have a single leader or branch going up the center,” George said. “We also need to look at access, as we need a crane to lift up the tree. So, no overhead utilities nearby and the route must be wide enough for the tree to travel along.”
Once the tree goes down, crews will transport and install it Saturday as Pittsburgh’s 109th Christmas tree. An 8:30 a.m. departure from Springdale is expected. Crane and transport work is typically handled by Carl’s Tree Service with an escort by city police.
Motorists can expect temporary delays and rolling closures from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. as the tree is moved to the City-County Building via Pittsburgh Street in Springdale, then Pillow Avenue and Hite Road in Cheswick and eventually Route 28 onto I-279.
From there, the tree will be taken across the Fort Duquesne Bridge, on Fort Pitt Boulevard and, finally, onto Grant Street.
Parts of Grant Street, which runs right past the City-County Building, will be closed from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and again from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday as crews finish decorating.
An official tree lighting ceremony and other Light Up Night festivities will take place starting at 4 p.m. Nov. 23 throughout Downtown. The 63rd iteration of the event also will feature three stages with live music, craft food vendors, shopping and, to end the night, fireworks.
Babinsack loves all the holiday cheer, but removing the trees has a practical purpose, too, as Guardian Angels tries to sell the former church.
“We have some interest in it. I can’t really comment any further than that, but there are a few organizations looking at it as we speak,” he said. “It seems like it makes the property more attractive not to have that nuisance hanging around.
Plus, “it’s nice for the tree to live on,” he said.