Arena voted to be torn down (Pittsburgh, Liberty: to move, renewal, design)

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Downtown is trying grow but there is really only so much available space to grow in, being bounded on three sides by water. Even the eastern edge of the city is partially blocked by The Bluff. The arena property represents a good 1/3 of the usable space along the eastern edge of downtown. Opening that space up for development will allow the city to grow (expected to be mostly residential) eastward into the Hill (hopefully) and towards Oakland.

Once the arena is down, a plan needs to be in place to start development quickly. Letting the space sit vacant for 5-10 years accomplishes nothing and may stagnate/miss the current downtown “renaissance” buzz. Also, the crosstown boulevard needs to be at least partially covered to get full integration.

Blocking the demolition for what looks like a year plus is an irresponsible and silly waste of our taxpayer dollars when we all know the arena will eventually come down. I wonder what the maintenance/utility fees will be to let the arena sit vacant while appeals continue?

[MathmanMathman]

Well, the Penguins want to redevelop the site. But according to the PG

Originally Posted by PG

Others, however, claimed the Penguins plan to turn the site into a parking lot, as they are permitted to do initially under their deal with the SEA. The team insists that is not the intent long-term.

Hmmm...not the intent "long-term"? Sounds like the Syria Mosque all over again. I mean do they have financing for its redevelopment lined up?

[badguykc]

I say level it. Pittsburgh needs to get with the times.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by badguykc

I say level it. Pittsburgh needs to get with the times.

Well, "getting with the times" is renovation and reuse, not demolition. 579 is more of a barrier to downtown than the Igloo.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

Well, the Penguins want to redevelop the site. But according to the PG

Hmmm...not the intent "long-term"? Sounds like the Syria Mosque all over again. I mean do they have financing for its redevelopment lined up?

Not sure if you were around or not when the Mosque was leveled, but it was in fair condition. It was a tough venue to get acts to play there, and it was tough to retrofit everything. Great place, but outlived its time, just like the Arena. I believe it costs roughly 100K/month to keep the Arena open, where will that money come from?

[DaBurgh]

Maybe it can be a shelter for everyone who waits for a PAT bus that never comes.

[nuwaver88]

Originally Posted by trlstreet

Downtown is trying grow but there is really only so much available space to grow in, being bounded on three sides by water. Even the eastern edge of the city is partially blocked by The Bluff. The arena property represents a good 1/3 of the usable space along the eastern edge of downtown. Opening that space up for development will allow the city to grow (expected to be mostly residential) eastward into the Hill (hopefully) and towards Oakland.

Once the arena is down, a plan needs to be in place to start development quickly. Letting the space sit vacant for 5-10 years accomplishes nothing and may stagnate/miss the current downtown “renaissance” buzz. Also, the crosstown boulevard needs to be at least partially covered to get full integration.

Blocking the demolition for what looks like a year plus is an irresponsible and silly waste of our taxpayer dollars when we all know the arena will eventually come down. I wonder what the maintenance/utility fees will be to let the arena sit vacant while appeals continue?

This is true. Actually, being small is partially what makes Downtown special. It gives it an urban density and a bit of a mini-Manhattan vibe that only a few Downtown areas have. Having said that, property in and around Downtown is at a premium because of this density. This is not the land of wide open spaces like out west where we can continue to expand into the hinterlands. Should an old venue, which sits on primo urban property, whose major uses have been replaced by a new and modern venue across the street, be allowed to hog up so much developable property? IMHO, if the Penguins have a concrete plan in place, it would behoove them put it on the fast track to give the preservationists less of an arguement. As much as I am against preserving the arena, I am even more against seeing delays. If the the preservationsists can get the ball rolling on the twenty-eight acre site within a year or so and the Penguins in five years or more, I'll side with Pffafman and the preservationists. If the Penguins really do not have a good plan and/or investors, it will be all to easy for them to blame the presevationists for the lack of cranes in the air a few years down the road. The Penguins need to plan the same as the have been and assume they will win this. If and when they do, I expect to see a lot of activity on the Lower Hill, and less excuses.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Not sure if you were around or not when the Mosque was leveled, but it was in fair condition. It was a tough venue to get acts to play there, and it was tough to retrofit everything. Great place, but outlived its time, just like the Arena. I believe it costs roughly 100K/month to keep the Arena open, where will that money come from?

Hey, I live in Atlanta now and our "Syria Mosque" is the Fox. It also was a Masonic Temple turned theater. We almost lost it to the wrecking ball in the 1970s but it was saved and restored. It is doing very well now hosting concerts, shows, etc.

Sure a show like McCartney can't play at the Syria Mosque nor can it play at our Fox. But it can host shows and the Fox has a lot of architectural character.

[neurodistortion]

Originally Posted by ML North

Propose a plan to transport the enormous structural members of that facility to Homestead. Remember to include a list of all the buildings, bridges, and/or tunnels that will need to be demolished to maneuver those huge components.

Also, how about a cost analysis? Preferably one that doesn't show transportation and reconstruction costs that exceed the present value of asset itself?

Then we'll believe that your proposal isn't a joke.

Well for this particular plan, you wouldn't need to demolish any surrounding buildings or bridges and tunnels. It would actually be possible to fly the large structural pieces, perhaps even large sections intact, by helicopter off the site and then transport them by barge to the Waterfront. A lot of the pieces are actually relatively lightweight due to the structural design and its thin stainless steel construction and it would actually be possible to take apart the arena and transport the sections without actually having to take everything apart into millions of structural pieces. It's been done before for bridge construction/relocations and radio tower/skyscraper construction, as seen in the pictures below.



As for the smaller sized pieces, they could be transported via flatbed trucks. The concrete would be unsalvagable however and would be disposed. I wish I could show you a cost analysis but I apparently don't have the means. Of course, transportation and reconstruction costs are going to be high, but if the costs of transporting large sections by helicopter and barge is cheaper than actually producing all new structural pieces and building the arena from scratch, then I think it's a good idea.

[raubre]

Originally Posted by neurodistortion

Like I said before, move it. Who would agree that it would look pretty cool within the parking lot between Sandcastle and the movie theater at the Waterfront? Also don't give me the excuse that it's not economically feasible, I think an indoor family entertainment center (expansive arcade/rides/roller coaster/bowling alley/music venue/ice rink/rock climbing wall/sports bar/retail shops/food court) could do wonders for the Waterfront during the winter months that Kennywood is closed. Build a parking garage between the arena and the movie theater and you would have the premier entertainment destination in Western Pennsylvania. It would also be an interesting concept and forever go in history of being the first arena to be relocated and adapted to an IDEAL use. Some people just want it GONE and forgotten without looking at the historic and economic potential that a relocated structure could do to the area.

I don't know. It just seems like an awkwaard suggestion to move it. I've heard of houses being moved, but I can't see a truck lugging that building over the High Level bridge,lol