Breaking Ground

Matt Bodenschatz | Pittsburgh Penguins

Aug 14, 11:28 AM | Hype this story!

As of 11 a.m. this morning, the construction process for the new arena in Pittsburgh is underway.

No longer is dirt being moved in effort to make room for the arena. Instead, digging will take place, and construction of the framework will follow.

Though we’re still two full seasons away from watching hockey inside the superstructure, the excitement surrounding this morning’s event is undeniable.

Let’s take a look at some of the more important and interesting facts, first starting with a brief fly-through video, courtesy of the New Pittsburgh Arena section of the Penguins’ web site.

Absolutely gorgeous.

Facts
Opening date: fall 2010
Seating capacity: 18,087
Suites: 66
Club seats: 2,000
Site acreage: 8 acres

The new arena will have more than 1,000 seats than Mellon Arena, including more than 300 additional club seats. Also, there will be 14 more suites than in Mellon Arena.

While the primary tenant will be the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, other athletic competitions, concerts and special events will take place at the new arena.

The seating capacity is 19,000 for basketball games, 19,758 for events using a center stage, and 14,536 for events using an end stage.

For more detailed information, including a live construction cam updated every minute, visit the New Pittsburgh Arena section of the Penguins’ web site.

Comments

  1. Ben Schmidt

    Aug 14, 01:45 PM

    I noticed a few amusing numbers in those facts:
    Seating capacity: 18,0 87
    Suites: 66

    Heh, the Pens sure want to make it clear whose house this is :)

  2. Matt Bodenschatz

    Aug 14, 01:53 PM

    Clearly, there is no coincidence with this.

  3. Alex

    Aug 14, 02:11 PM

    I wonder if Sid had any input in how it would be built? After all, the whiteouts were his idea, and putting in extra AC for some playoff games was his idea too.

    I bet Mario, Sawyer, and Morehouse at least ran a few ideas past him.

    What a glorious day.

  4. HOCKEYpAT

    Aug 15, 01:20 PM

    In todays Trib everone is up in arms because Mario bluffed his way past KC. I give him KUDOS hes been screwed for years by the city and the so called Gov. I’m glad he proved hes the smartest and what did the fans want to give him permission to keep the Pens here. Good job Mario you had the last laugh. You finally got what you should have had before Heinz field and PNC.

  5. Matt Bodenschatz

    Aug 15, 02:14 PM

    So had he not bluffed and the government officials not provided a viable Plan B and the Penguins were left with no funding for a new arena, what would these fans then think?

    Mario did what he had to do to assure the Penguins would get a new arena. I think this is the perfect example of people complaining simply for the sake of complaining.

  6. Ken Bosak

    Aug 15, 06:18 PM

    I think Western Pa should be a state of its own and leave Eastern Pa to be their own state because we certainly could find someone to run this part of the state better than Ed the crook Rendell. Mario I salute you for being the master manipulator Thanks for everything and let the whiners, whine

  7. Dabich

    Aug 18, 05:12 AM

    Oh Lord, look at those numbers. 87 and 66…forever in the new Arena LOL

Commenting is closed for this article.