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Land & Power

Ep. 2: 'Sticks And Stones'

By Margaret J. Krauss

Published November 16, 2020 at 3:05 AM EST

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Rev. Dr. Darryl Canady leads Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church, a few blocks away from Penn Plaza. A chance meeting in 2015 grew into a friendship with Larry Gumberg.

Katie Blackley / 90.5 WESA

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Rev. Dr. Darryl Canady leads Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church, a few blocks away from Penn Plaza. A chance meeting in 2015 grew into a friendship with Larry Gumberg.

Katie Blackley / 90.5 WESA

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Left to right: Brian Gumberg, Larry Gumberg and Zach Gumberg. Larry and his sons are third- and fourth-generation developers in the Pittsburgh region.

Ryan Deto / Pittsburgh City Paper

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Left to right: Brian Gumberg, Larry Gumberg and Zach Gumberg. Larry and his sons are third- and fourth-generation developers in the Pittsburgh region.

Ryan Deto / Pittsburgh City Paper

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The East End Savings and Trust Company buildings. The Victorian-era building was constructed in 1913.

Katie Blackley / 90.5 WESA

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The East End Savings and Trust Company buildings. The Victorian-era building was constructed in 1913.

Katie Blackley / 90.5 WESA

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The Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty.

Sarah Schneider / 90.5 WESA

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The Kelly Strayhorn Theater in East Liberty.

Sarah Schneider / 90.5 WESA

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A woman waits for a bus in East Liberty.

Katie Blackley / 90.5 WESA

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A woman waits for a bus in East Liberty.

Katie Blackley / 90.5 WESA

A lot has been said in Pittsburgh about the would-be developers of the Penn Plaza Apartments, Lawrence Gumberg and his two sons, Brian and Zach. Land & Power presents the first and only comprehensive interview with the family.

How did Larry Gumberg come to be viewed as a symbol for everything wrong with Pittsburgh’s resurgence? Turns out, the story everyone knows misses a lot.

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Land & Power Land & Power Penn Plaza

Margaret J. Krauss

Margaret J. Krauss is WESA’s senior reporter. She covers development and transportation, and has produced award-winning podcasts on housing, work, and Pittsburgh’s lesser-known history. Before joining the newsroom full time, she covered the challenges facing Pennsylvania cities as a statewide reporter, and spent another life as an assistant editor for National Geographic Kids Magazine in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at mkrauss@wesa.fm.

See stories by Margaret J. Krauss

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