", Belko, Mark. The Civic Light Opera performs an open-air By 2013, Pittsburgh's Civic Arena had The plan would generate more than $18 million a year to meet debt service. historic designation for the 49-year-old Civic Arena, moving it a step closer to demolition. The roof has no interior supports … "This is going to be a long process. shortly after construction was completed in the Fall of 1961. The authority is considering what to do with Mellon Arena. The primary draw to the Mellon Arena, the Pittsburgh Penguins settled in the arena in the fall of 1967. The Penguins, who won the right to develop the Mellon site and surrounding land, 28 acres in all, during negotiations on a new arena, welcomed the findings. The downtown Cultural Corridor is anchored by Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts, The Benedum . the first retractable roof ever on a major sports venue in the world. The newly enclosed Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne boasts a retractable roof and steel-and-glass facade, ensuring that it can be used year-round for tennis as well as other sporting and entertainment events. A final vote is set for Tuesday. So far there are three bidders in the race. Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan said, "The Penguins believe that the best use of the Mellon Arena site is for the arena to come down and to create a dynamic mixed-use development.". Pittsburgh PA: On location photography for the Council of Churches. tennis match under the open roof of the Civic Arena in 1975. Mellon Arena is scheduled to close this summer when the Penguins move into the Consol Energy Center. The Mellon Arena, completed in 1961, was originally constructed as a performance center for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. Apartments or retailers could fill the void if an outside developer chooses to invest, team President David Morehouse has said. The name "Igloo" came from the construction of the dome roof supported by a 260-foot long cantilevered arm on the exterior of the building. Arena's famous dome fell flat for the theater . Harrah's Station Square Casino and Majestic Star Casino have also planned bids, but they have not included arena funds in their plan. officials have said Mellon Arena should be demolished to create room for retail and housing developments. Pittsburgh, Pa. - The Sports & Exhibition Authority expects to spend from $78,000 to $100,000 a Pittsburgh's Civic Arena was a technological marvel when it opened in 1961. After deciding that one Cup just did not cut it, the Pens went on to win a second Stanley Cup over the Chicago Blackhawks on May 9, 1992. the development. The sturdy steel and aluminum dome resisted efforts to bring it down for delay in razing the 48-year-old Mellon Arena to give Reuse the Igloo and others interested in saving it more time to develop alternative plans, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The study done by Oxford Development Co. was prepared as part of a mandated review to determine if there are alternative uses for the 48-year-old landmark. The arena will indefinitely be a part of Pittsburgh's history. It would create an estimated 2,498 permanent jobs and $72 million in wages by the 10th year. Spectators watch a Pittsburgh Triangles Perhaps the Penguins should consolidate their merchandise stands and install some italian sausage grills. Found inside – Page 154The were required to show the arena's impracticality result is a marketplace of a style and tone that for opera , though it ... was marked for destruction . arena has few betters in terms of clear - span roofs and retractable domes . and 1991 to increase seating capacity, the club could not remain arena is better than tearing it down.". Ice … By Patricia Lowry, Post-Gazette Architecture Critic The dividing line between Downtown and the historically African-American Hill District, the bubble-shaped arena boasted a retractable roof that enhanced 17,000 concertgoers' experience with a night-sky canopy. Washington in 1963, just two years after its completion. fifty years of Igloo entertainment will live on forever. The Civic Arena visible from Pittsburgh's Mt. A private consortium has pitched the city to build a privately funded arena for the city. the city landscape. As the 21st century dawned, the haven't done that. The arena was the setting for the 1995 Jean Claude Van Damme action film Sudden Death , which was set during a fictional Game 7 Stanley Cup Final, and the climax featured the roof being opened during the game (surprisingly, without the fans noticing). The SEA is expected to recommend the demolition of the domed structure, formerly known as Mellon Arena, as part of the Penguins' plan to redevelop 28 acres across the street from the new Consol Energy Center. The building, now known as Mellon Arena, predates the arrival of the Pens and ranks as the oldest facility in the NHL. "Pittsburgh Civic Arena" opened in the mid 60s and is the only home the Penguins have ever had. 1988 Pittsburgh CLO moves to its current home in the Benedum Center. There are also a number of skybox suites high above the seating bowl. Retractable roofs ensure that a stadium can be used for purposes besides sporting events, such as concerts, exhibitions and shows. Found insideMiss Schmertz received her degree in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon University and now lives in New York where she is a ... Also on the panel will be Dahlen Ritchey , designer of the Civic Arena with its unique retractable roof ... ", Belko, Mark. Above each sideline just below the suites is where you will find the Pens "Ring of Honor". The city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority, which owns the arena, wants to start tearing down the building in early April. Their friendship began in 1922 and led to their giving land and money for the 1924 construction of Ross-Ade Stadium, now a 70,000 seat athletic landmark on the West Lafayette campus. the Igloo eight years ago. Melbourne Park is the home of the Australian Tennis Open. As demolition work continues, Pittsburghers see something they haven't seen in decades: The dome on the Civic Arena is open a crack. It kept that record until the Houston Astrodome … City and county leaders say they have little money to contribute to the program, but they could levy parking surcharges or take other steps to help finance the venue. Financial terms of the 10-year agreement were not disclosed in 1999. The shape may resemble a split fan, as at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the US, or an accordion, as at the . Upon the demolition of the historic Mellon Arena, a development plan that includes parking garages, office buildings, restaurants, and even a city park. Historic preservationists want to reuse the building, perhaps as a park and retail center. Assist... in the concourses, a Pittsburgh sports Hall of Fame exhibit with bronze plaques, and along one sideline corridor are large casual photos of current Penguin players. It was an engineering marvel but a performer's nightmare . Found inside – Page 1This is the fourth volume in an operational and chronological series covering the U.S. Marine Corps’ participation in the Vietnam War. It was the first retractable roof major-sports venue in the world, covering 170,000 sq. The building with the retractable roof closed in 2010 and was demolished by 2012. THE IGLOO TO BE MELTED Soon enough, the wind poured in through the open roof and rumbled the microphones, and Burnett was in desperate need of a coat. Like Seattle's Space Needle and St. Louis's Gateway … . Found inside – Page 271History may also bestow that title on Mellon Arena , if it survives ( current plans are to tear it down after 2010 ) . ... 6.6 for the construction scheme that had by then evolved into a retractable dome CONSOL ENERGY that would shelter ... But when the retractable roof was opened, their sound blew out, so the CLO moved on and the Penguins moved in. attractions was the retractable roof, which was supported by a Preservation Pittsburgh took its effort to save the Civic Arena to federal court , suing the Sports & Exhibition Authority, the owner of the arena, along with numerous city, county and federal agencies, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette reported. . Again quoting Lowry, she said "not only was [it] the brightest bauble in Pittsburgh's Renaissance but also its boldest engineering feat." He also feels it is more cost effective to work with the existing infrastructure than The dome provided no place to hang lighting, sets, or amplifiers, and trying to keep an open arena air conditioned proved to be more expensive than predicted. Pittsburgh, Pa. - The federal agency that enforces the nation's historic preservation efforts is raising concerns about plans to raze Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh and suggests the city could lose federal funding for redevelopment if those concerns aren't addressed, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. The Civic Arena primarily served as the home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the city's National Hockey League (NHL) franchise, from 1967 to 2010. The main team store is called "Pen Station", but if that's too crowded, then plan on finding your souvenir item at just about every section. However, for the last decade of the arena's use the roof was immobile, partially due to the scoreboard hanging from its centre. The Civic Auditorium was the first in the world to have a retractable roof, with six of the roof panels folding in two. The roof is 170,000 square feet and is designed to open or close in 2.5 minutes. The complaint said arena demolition would violate the National Historic Preservation Act by using highway funds to redevelop the site of the 50-year-old arena. This flexibility in stadium usage helps build a business case for investing in a retractable roof. ; Groundbreaking was in April 1957, and it opened in September 1961. In the dome, there was no visible support in the roofing which made it possible to get others seating in higher areas. The very first retractable roof ballpark was the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania built in 1958. The Mellon Arena was the first retractable dome, and it was the largest dome in the world at the time it was built. The chief difference in the numbers appeared to be real estate taxes, with the Penguins' plan generating $73.3 million over 10 years versus $41.7 million over the same time under Pfaffmann's plan. Found inside – Page 668... Carnegie - Mellon Unichinery , air brakes , plate and window glass and versity , Community College of Allegheny ... domed numerous major rail carriers ; Continental Civic Arena with retractable roof ; 50,000 - seat Trailways and ... The team used the time to show video of the new arena it is proposing. The city planning commission is expected to take up the matter later this month and could decide to hold a public hearing before taking a vote. The Mellon Arena's importance to the city of Pittsburgh is one that has imprinted itself on everyone who has seen it. sections, which could fully retract in less than three minutes. New York Times: "Civic Arena, Once Pittsburgh's Pride, Moves Toward Along one sideline is a pictoral mural of Penguin greats while the other has the names of the honorees. This was the world's first indoor stadium to feature a retractable roof. Found inside – Page 6There we took a whole block out , and there is now a lovely park there known as the Mellon Park and six stories of underground parking ... We tore all that out and that now houses our new civic arena , with its famous retractable roof . Easter Sunrise Service at the Civic Arena with the roof in the process of opening. A March 2007 agreement between the SEA and the Penguins, the arena's main tenant, states Mellon Arena would be demolished after completion of Consol Energy Center, which should be finished by mid-July. A World Heavyweight Title bout was fought in 1981 between It would create an estimated 2,940 permanent jobs and $84 million in wages by the 10th year. This was Phish's 1st show at Pittsburgh Civic Arena - a retractable-roof dome hockey arena affectionately known as The Igloo, with a capacity of 16,571. The seating areas are separated from the general seating areas and also have wider padded seats. No kidding. The issue involves funding that the SEA is expected to seek from the Federal Highway Administration to restore much of the street grid that once connected the Hill District to Downtown once the arena has been demolished and the land cleared for a Penguins-led redevelopment. The study estimates the cost of demolishing the arena and adding streets to reconnect the Hill District and Downtown at $28.35 million. Tickets cost $20.00. 1985 The Gallery of Heroes program is established. demolition began in 2011. Patricia Lowry, an architecture critic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, noted that comedian Carol Burnett stood on the stage of Pittsburgh's new Civic Auditorium on the night of July 4, 1962. January 21, 2010Copyright 2010 MediaVentures. To cover the entire outer surface of the dome, it took a whopping 166,000 square feet of stainless steel sheeting. "I can remember because the roof was round and white and pristine. I just put my arms over my head, moved around a little, and said that we are going to have a movable roof." Since then, the Mellon Arena has hosted approximately forty games every year except for the labor stoppage in the 2004-2005 season. "The Igloo Club" is actually to premium lounges straddling the lower sidelines, and ticketholders in the lower sideline seats have access to their own private lounge and bar area. November 18, 2010Copyright 2010 MediaVentures. that the economic advantage to keeping the There is no need to rush the demolition of the arena," he The world's first retractable roof over a sports arena was built in 1961 over the now-closed Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Address: 66 Mario Lemieux Place, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219. said. Pittsburgh, Pa. - The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission is recommending a Other dimensions of the dome were impressive for their time: Weight: 3,653 tons Noting that the arena is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, Pfaffmann told the The Penguins want to demolish their longtime home and find a developer to create a residential and retail district on Centre Avenue across from the new Consol Energy Center. Architect Rob Pfaffmann, head of Reuse the Igloo, said the group would seek a court injunction at some point to block the demolition. With admittance even from the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky claimed that Crosby has the best chances to break his records. Civic Arena opened with great fanfare at a public dedication Sept. 17, 1961. ", Diamond, Dan. were initiated to replace the Civic Arena with the Consol Energy Center, built on land adjacent to the Igloo. The Pittsburgh Civic Arena in 2012 financially viable in the aging facility. 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