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Old 11-20-2009, 02:06 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh area
9,912 posts, read 24,534,437 times
Reputation: 5162

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Quote:
Originally Posted by TelecasterBlues View Post
Yeah I agree, but the roof has been inoperable for something like 30 or 40 years now? I remember there was a movement to fix it, but the cost to fix the roof was determined to be unrealistically expensive...so it now sits as is.
The roof has been open for some concerts since I moved here, less than 20 years ago. My understanding is a renovation that had to do with its main use as a hockey arena has since rendered it impossible to open the roof (because something is in the way). I never heard that the roof was inoperable and not fixed. It was operable until the configuration change. (Hopes says it's the scoreboard, which makes sense. I don't personally remember what the changes were.)
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Old 11-20-2009, 02:40 PM
 
Location: NOT a native Pittsburgher
323 posts, read 831,454 times
Reputation: 130
Quote:
Originally Posted by Copanut View Post
Onorato, Boy Luke, Fast Eddie Rendell

They could have easily given the license to Isle of Capri.

Not that it would have made any difference. 4 Ohio cities and Lawrence county are jumping on the casino bandwagon. It was a dumb idea to expand government and people fell for it.
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Old 11-20-2009, 02:58 PM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
12,527 posts, read 17,437,653 times
Reputation: 10629
The difference being, if the Casino failed, we would still have an arena. If the one on the North Side fails, we still have to foot the bill for the new arena.
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Old 11-20-2009, 03:18 PM
 
Location: RVA
2,420 posts, read 4,693,835 times
Reputation: 1212
Quote:
Originally Posted by bethany12 View Post
Not that it would have made any difference. 4 Ohio cities and Lawrence county are jumping on the casino bandwagon. It was a dumb idea to expand government and people fell for it.
I wish all these "stop expanding government" people had been around from 2001-2008. I was a voice in the wilderness back then and now they're everywhere!
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Old 11-20-2009, 04:17 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
29,627 posts, read 34,093,605 times
Reputation: 76624
Quote:
It was supposed to be a concert hall/multi-use venue
I've read that larger acts skip Pittsburgh because it's difficult to get their trucks and equipment in and out of the Arena as it is now. Hopefully the new setup will rectify that.
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Old 11-20-2009, 04:18 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
1,758 posts, read 4,204,840 times
Reputation: 552
Being the Mayor Of Simpleton, I try to keep it simple. The Penguins and the developer do not currently plan on saving Mellon Arena. Unless they are open to discussion on plans to save it, we need to put the salvation plans to rest if it threatens to delay any prospective plans even by one single day. Why delay the inevitable? This salvation plan is coming from an architect not associated with the Penguins or it's developer. I am sure they (the Penguins) have kicked around this idea at least a little bit for the last few years before they decided against it. Development in Pittsburgh does indeed happen eventually, but it always seems to be at a slow pace. Much of this has to do with politicians or citizens or Nimbys. Sometimes this oppostion is for the betterment of the city, but most of the time, it is a resistance to change. "That mill was there for one hundred years. Who cares if it has been closed for thirty? Five generations of Jablonsky's worked in that mill. Now, we are puttin' in housing and retail?" I am not convinced that saving the arena even partially is the highest use of the Uptown site.

Last edited by nuwaver88; 11-20-2009 at 04:29 PM..
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Old 11-20-2009, 04:23 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
1,758 posts, read 4,204,840 times
Reputation: 552
Quote:
Originally Posted by greg42 View Post
The roof has been open for some concerts since I moved here, less than 20 years ago. My understanding is a renovation that had to do with its main use as a hockey arena has since rendered it impossible to open the roof (because something is in the way). I never heard that the roof was inoperable and not fixed. It was operable until the configuration change. (Hopes says it's the scoreboard, which makes sense. I don't personally remember what the changes were.)
I went to an Arena Football game in 1987 to see the Pittsburgh Gladiators. During the National Anthem, they opened the roof. They said, "Welome to the first indoor/outdoor football game!" It was in June, so it was still light out since the game started at 7pm. I liked it, but some complained that it took away the intimacy that was part of arena football's appeal. Of course, most of the appeal soon faded away as people realized that it was a far cry from the game they grew up with.
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Old 11-20-2009, 04:31 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
29,627 posts, read 34,093,605 times
Reputation: 76624
Quote:
Being the Mayor Of Simpleton,
Curse you for getting that song stuck in my head!
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Old 11-20-2009, 04:32 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
1,758 posts, read 4,204,840 times
Reputation: 552
Quote:
Originally Posted by fleetiebelle View Post
Curse you for getting that song stuck in my head!
At least it is a good one!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Da9sc6YDBo
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Old 11-20-2009, 08:01 PM
 
254 posts, read 588,642 times
Reputation: 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by Copanut View Post
I keep reading how the Arena killed the Hill District. But when you look on Google or other maps you see how very little real estate the city took to build the Arena. I don't get it, and now the Hill wants 7.5 million per year to rebuild. Talk about wasted money.
You have to remember that in the course of massive urban renewal in 40's and 50's, the entire landscape was completely changed. Whole streets and neighborhoods were obliterated. What you see today is land utterly reshaped by bulldozers and wrecking balls. So while the area around the Arena may appear not significant, it's misleading. An entire section of the former urban fabric was torn out. The moat-like Crosstown Expressway takes up considerable area as well.
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