Hill District activists want money from arena parking
Two Hill District activists on Thursday again urged the city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority to require the Pittsburgh Penguins to put $1 toward improving the neighborhood for every car that uses parking lots near Consol Energy Center.
Carl Redwood, founder of the Hill District Consensus Group, told the board that $600,000 a year raised by the fee could pay to repair the homes of poor neighbors, upgrade playgrounds and enhance public transportation for senior citizens in the Centre Avenue business corridor.
The concept is not new, but there is renewed interest in how the Penguins will exercise the team's right to develop the 28-acre site of the now-demolished Civic Arena in the Lower Hill District. The consensus group, a coalition of about 200 homeowners, began pushing the $1-per-car fee last year in hopes of offsetting the $40 million in public subsidies likely required to build roads and install utilities on the site. The idea gained little traction with politicians.
“The Penguins recently signed a deal to pay Sidney Crosby $104 million. Why do they need public subsidy from the SEA?” Redwood said.
Penguins officials declined to comment but the team has committed $1 million toward building a planned Shop n' Save grocery store in the Hill.
The SEA owns Consol Energy Center, which was built to replace the Civic Arena. The authority is pursuing $15 million from a state development fund as part of the $40 million infrastructure effort. Once the roads and utilities are in place, the Penguins plan to develop the site over a 10-year period. In the meantime, the area will be a parking lot. The arena's demolition created room for an 860-spot parking lot expected to open in August.
In May, City Council authorized legislation that would tax the new parking spots and generate an estimated $500,000 a year. The money would be split between the SEA and the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority, which co-own the site. The URA plans to use its share to attract businesses to Centre Avenue and to improve housing, transportation and green space in the Hill. The SEA will use its portion for design and construction on the former Civic Arena site.
Renee Aldrich, another Hill activist, asked why the SEA's board hasn't started work on a public art project next to Consol Energy Center dubbed “Curtain Call.” Aldrich said the SEA and Penguins should keep their promise to raise money for the art project, designed by California-based artist Walter Hood. The design incorporates a twisting walkway, rain garden and photos of Hill District residents and places.
Doug Straley, the SEA's project executive, said the authority is trying to raise the $1.5 million needed to build “Curtain Call” from charitable foundations and other sources. It has applied for grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Jeremy Boren is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7935 or jboren@tribweb.com.
