Arena voted to be torn down (Pittsburgh, Carnegie: home, neighborhood, buy)

[raubre]

Originally Posted by ctoocheck

But if it were to be dismantled and moved...fly the pieces by helicopter maybe?

The arena is already dead, it wouldn't make any sense to life flight it.

[neurodistortion]

Originally Posted by raubre

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

Well it isn't as simple as moving a house, that's for sure. There's only so many ways to move such a large structure and make it work. Likewise, you may think it's ridiculous to move a large wooden roller coaster but that's exactly what some people have in mind and are currently proposing to do with Geauga Lake's Big Dipper.

[nuwaver88]

Originally Posted by neurodistortion

Well it isn't as simple as moving a house, that's for sure. There's only so many ways to move such a large structure and make it work. Likewise, you may think it's ridiculous to move a large wooden roller coaster but that's exactly what some people have in mind and are currently proposing to do with Geauga Lake's Big Dipper.

With all due respect neuro, your idea is pie in the sky. The building simply is not that nice to preserve and move given the cost. There is no need to even waste our breath over it.

[jimmyev]

Originally Posted by youngabe

What city, other than Pittsburgh, hangs on to their old arena? "Here is our new, state-of-the-art arena...and that...oh yeah, we couldn't part with our old arena, so we just left it stand!!!" ???? NO! Doesn't work!

Houston. Los Angeles (http://www.lacoliseum.com/pages/history.shtml - broken link). Miami (http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/miami-marine-stadium.html - broken link). Dallas.

[neurodistortion]

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

With all due respect neuro, your idea is pie in the sky. The building simply is not that nice to preserve and move given the cost. There is no need to even waste our breath over it.

Well, that's really up to the eyes of the beholder. Something that's a piece of crap to someone is going to be worth a million bucks to somebody else. If the arena was 200 years old, would it then make a difference? Also, it isn't as if our area hasn't already had its fair share of taxpayer-funded projects (not implying that I favor taxpayer funding) that were considered useless and a waste of money at one time only to be put into good use and have proven to be viable. Call me crazy but most people around here are only concerned with the "biggest is best" or "newer is better" mentality and are afraid to try something different and unorthodox, but then again, I've always thought Pittsburgh was an unorthodox place.

[Copanut]

Don't know if this is off topic or not, Happy Thanksgiving, Yac.

But, it's funny, so many comment on how old fashioned and behind we Pghers are, and yet when we decide to build new and tear down something old, we still get chastised for it.

[PreservationPioneer]

This building should not be considered old enough to be historic. Where were all these preservationists when the Syria Mosque was torn down? Or that building on the South Side from the 1870s that was recently torn down for an ALDI's? Or all those 19th century structures along Route 28? I have no sympathy for the arena, especially considering what was torn down to build it. It's ugly and a symbol of failed urban renewal (just like Allegheny Center)!

[raubre]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

This building should not be considered old enough to be historic. Where were all these preservationists when the Syria Mosque was torn down? Or that building on the South Side from the 1870s that was recently torn down for an ALDI's? Or all those 19th century structures along Route 28? I have no sympathy for the arena, especially considering what was torn down to build it. It's ugly and a symbol of failed urban renewal (just like Allegheny Center)!

Allegehenny Center is worse in another way there. The street grids are way too confusing. With the North, East, South and West Streets it reminds me too much of the streets in East Liberty

[TelecasterBlues]

Originally Posted by jimmyev

Houston. Los Angeles (http://www.lacoliseum.com/pages/history.shtml - broken link). Miami (http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/miami-marine-stadium.html - broken link). Dallas.

All of those buildings still have a significant regional hold, if not national recognition(yes, even the Crapper Dome is more recognizable than the Civic Arena). The Astro Dome is still used for all of the offshoot activities that wouldn't work for Reliant Stadium(or whatever it's called now), the Colliseum actually IS something of a unique structure(the city doesn't have another large venue like that) and houses the USC Trojans, the Miami Marine Stadium shouldn't even be a part of this argument as it's not even in the same category of use as the other structures being mentioned, and obviously the Cotton Bowl still has various uses from the Red River Rivalry/Texas State Fair to well...the Cotton Bowl game itself.

The point being made is that all of those places still either A) have uses, or B) hold some sort of regional or national significance. The Civic Arena is literally defunct with both Consol and Peterson in town, and as much as people like to think of this as some sort of amazing structure(which it's not)....absoutely nobody outside of Pittsburgh has even heard of the Civic Arena or even really gives two craps about it. Seriously, it's not the Gateway Arch or the Space Needle that we're talking about...it's a dirty old arena with massive design flaws that caused the structure to be converted from a cultural fascility with lofty ambitions into a lowly hockey arena. Does that not say it all?

Why are people fighting to preserve one of the city's greatest failures?

[PreservationPioneer]

Not just one of the city's greatest failures -- probably THE greatest failure of all.