Public Meeting Monday: Fate of Mellon Arena (Pittsburgh, Indiana: home, theater)

[JRTurner]

The fate of Mellon Arena will be the topic of discussion at a 6:30 PM Monday evening public meeting at the New Hazlett Theater, North Side.

More details: Fate of Mellon Arena panel discussion on Monday

[Impala26]

Great idea, but isn't this really too little too late? I still would love to see the inner structure repurposed and the superstructure preserved. I don't see why that's so hard to do.

Still, wouldn't this meeting have helped the cause a year (or more) ago?

[youngabe]

I could be wrong...but I'm going to guess they're sort of just going through the motions to say that all sides have been heard, all proposals have been considered, and YUP, it's coming down. They won't be able to get to the bulldozers there fast enough.

[neurodistortion]

As for the arena, are there any other events planned despite the last hockey game there tonight? I wonder if I could just go in and get some snapshots around the building, anybody in particular who I should contact?

[gameguy56]

Good riddance. For all of the great memories the arena is really a physical abomination.

[Impala26]

Originally Posted by gameguy56

Good riddance. For all of the great memories the arena is really a physical abomination.

Oh yeah, and clearly the new Consol Center in its nondescript antiseptic glory is soooo much better.

By the way, the place looks like a plain wall from the direction of Oakland.

[TelecasterBlues]

not this again.....Mellon has no purpose and isn't anything special. It was/is a total failure at its intended purpose as a music hall, was home to the worst team in hockey for 30 years, and doesn't really hold a candle as a sports shrine since it only has THREE...count them, THREE championships attatched to the building throughout its 50+ years of existence. Even Texas Stadium and Yankee Stadium have been imploded in the way of progress and Mellon isn't even close to those two structures in the most lucid of pipedreams. I'm a Pens nut and have been since the early 90s, but this thing needs to be torn down and people need to move on. The space that it sits on is far too valuable to the city's downtown redevelopment to be wasted on a gigantic, empty monument to 3 Stanley Cups and a cool but archaic retractable roof design from the 50s/60s. It is indeed way too little, way too late.

[Impala26]

I was all for building a new indoor arena. Telecaster, you're right, the good old Igloo IS way passed its usefulness as a sporting venue.

But, and that's a big but, I still believe and will defend to the death that it is worth preserving on architectural grounds alone. I don't suggest keeping it because of good hockey memories. Unlike Three Rivers, this building was unique unto itself. Personally I find "current" modern architecture rather uninspired and pre-fab. I think it's appeal stems solely because of the fact that it's "new" construction. You will never see construction that looks like the Gulf Building or County Courthouse today.

I suppose from my perspective it's totally a preservationist mode with a disdain for "current" architecture. I'd rather keep the arena and repurpose it than have a clone of the South Side Works. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who is only 22 years old, so one can't even complain about me being a old timer trying to save old stuff.

[TelecasterBlues]

Originally Posted by Impala26

I was all for building a new indoor arena. Telecaster, you're right, the good old Igloo IS way passed its usefulness as a sporting venue.

But, and that's a big but, I still believe and will defend to the death that it is worth preserving on architectural grounds alone. I don't suggest keeping it because of good hockey memories. Unlike Three Rivers, this building was unique unto itself. Personally I find "current" modern architecture rather uninspired and pre-fab. I think it's appeal stems solely because of the fact that it's "new" construction. You will never see construction that looks like the Gulf Building or County Courthouse today.

I suppose from my perspective it's totally a preservationist mode with a disdain for "current" architecture. I'd rather keep the arena and repurpose it than have a clone of the South Side Works. Keep in mind this is coming from someone who is only 22 years old, so one can't even complain about me being a old timer trying to save old stuff.

I hate the South Side Works...I'm 24 and can't stand that place, haha. I agree 100%, my whole argument for leveling the arena actually comes from the idea that maybe..just maybe, that the rebirth of downtown/the hill district in conjunction with projects like the Allegheney Riverfront Vision will create a true "urban" and unique section for retail/housing/nightlife/etc that is unique to Pittsburgh's personality and authentic. I can't stand the dime-a-dozen, generic outdoor shopping mall feel of the South Side Works, The Waterfront, etc. When in teh South Side, I'd take something like Tom's Diner over a multi-state chain restaurant like The Cheesecake Factory anyday. I'm more or less hoping that the cleared space in conjunction with the expansion/further development of The Strip and Lawrenceville would give this city the type of urban environment that it's deserved for the past so many decades. I cringe whenever I have to go to The South Side Works.

[neurodistortion]

Whatever they do with the Mellon Arena site, I think it needs to be uniquely Pittsburgh and urban at the same time. We have too many Southside Works-like places already, why not do something different for once? Out in Indianapolis, there's a place called the Circle Centre Mall, which is a downtown shopping mall, but some of the more impressive features include a large glass dome called the Arts Garden, which at night has a glowing effect, and below the structure (above the street) is a neat decorative feature which looks like a spaceship. It would be interesting to see how they could incorporate something like this, I think it would be more impressive than just another lifestyle center on site. The part of town where Mellon Arena is at is one of the main gateways into the downtown area, and it should be developed in a manner that is representive of many other cities' entertainment districts.

Indianapolis Arts Garden at night on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_vogel/3220960735/ - broken link)
Indianapolis Arts Garden at night on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mark_vogel/3220961451/in/photostream/ - broken link)