Steelers win $4M reimbursement for Heinz Field scoreboard installed last year

It's the offseason, but the Pittsburgh Steelers still managed to rack up another win at Heinz Field.

The Sports & Exhibition Authority — the agency that owns the stadium and leases it to the Steelers — agreed Thursday to reimburse the team up to $4 million to cover costs associated with installing a new south-end video scoreboard and a series of ribbon-style video screens on the north, east and west sides of the North Shore stadium.

Steelers President Art Rooney II complained last year that the authority wasn't willing to spend money on upgrades to the stadium that would allow the team to attract large events, such as the Super Bowl. Rooney said the Steelers and the authority, known as the SEA, didn't have a working relationship.

Documents show money for the $4 million reimbursement will come from a capital reserve account that is fed by surcharges paid by fans attending games and events at Heinz Field, which opened in 2001 to replace Three Rivers Stadium.

Mayor Bill Peduto said last year that Heinz Field patrons, not taxpayers, should have to pay for upgrades to the stadium. His office declined comment Thursday. Peduto is in Washington, D.C., attending a meeting of the Alliance 50x50 Commission on U.S. transportation sector efficiency, according to his public schedule.

The Heinz Field video board was installed in time for the start of the 2017-18 season. It's 41 feet high and 123.5 feet wide. It's huge, but among NFL video boards, it ranks among the smallest, according to stadium video board maker Daktronics .