Posted on 05/07/2002 9:45:42 AM PDT by Willie Green
Edited on 04/13/2004 2:34:38 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Calling Mellon Arena "unique in the history of modern design," two historic-preservation groups yesterday nominated the eye-catching, silver- domed structure for a city historic designation.
If City Council grants it that status, it would make it much harder to demolish the 41-year-old building in the lower Hill District.
(Excerpt) Read more at post-gazette.com ...
Some jackass with with no clue is going to rip it down someday.
Mellon Arena is a multi-purpose facility jointly owned by the City of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.
Mario Lemieux and the Penguins are merely tenants whose lease expires in 2007.
They can go pound salt. The city can utilize the facility for other events.
Now, the Hurricane Bar up the street, that is history. I used to sit in a corner, shut my mouth and watch Jimmy McGriff and others.
IMHO, the "downtown" Magport would be best located on the North Side near the new stadiums. The city is extending the subway to that location anyway, and it'd be a convenient tranfer point to connect to Maglev. That degree of infrastructure integration would spur needed economic development on the North Side.
Granted, the Hill District could use a little stimulus as well. But IMHO, that would be better pursued by building light-rail to Oakland.
We spend enough money on preserving Civil War sites and natural monuments, why not Wrigley?
I'm always been impressed with National Parks and monuments.....one of the few things the government actually does pretty well.
Let's look at it this way: We already got two stadia we didn't want. At least the Penguins have won something in the last two decades. Fair is fair. If the taxpayers can build a field of dreams for a basebal team with no chance in hell of ever winning anything, they can certainly find Lemieux some money so he can keep a talented team on the ice.
The politicians newfound devotion to being wise stewards of public money is laughable. A new arena, unlike the stadia, could actually be used for concerts and events to generate money. How many concerts have been at Heinz? One? At PNC? Like McClatchy would let regular people dare to touch his precious grass.
SD
Oh, and i bet you were a big fan of the $500,000 outhouse at Yellowstone that couldnt be used in the winter because nothing was insulated and everything froze.
Big Daddy Government is the LAST entity I want buying and preserving baseball statdiums. A businessman who knows what hes doing could easily turn Wrigley into an attraction and make money off it.
Or as suggested above, how about you and your baseball enthusaist buddies buck up and buy it.
It is not the proper function of the federal government to be buying baseball stadiums and preserving them. And please point out to me the article in the Constitution that would authorize such activity. Not that it is followed anymore.
Then why wouldnt Lemeiux want to build and own it and reap all of the financial benefits?
And they shouldnt have built that stadium either.
And a private owner could lease out the facility for events.
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