Thursday, December 21, 2006

Bill Toland casino chat transcript

Bill Toland casino chat transcript We must not forget our third new arena in the area paid by the state. The Peterson Event Center. The cost over runs alone could have paid a large chunk of the new arena. Why did Pitt not look to combine a multi-use arena with the Pens at that time? They would have had more seatting than the Pete.
FYI: I was against Pitt's building of The Pete on its present location as a basketball only venue. That was a bad deal.

Pitt should have kept Pitt Stadium for one game a year, Akron, etc. And Pitt Stadium was used around the clock for practices for many sports teams and even the band. Pitt Stadium could also have been conditioned to hold graduate housing on an upper ring.

Pitt's new basketball facility should have been able to do ice too. That should have been built at Pitt's new River Campus, down Panther Hollow - in Hazelwood -- at the foot of the Parkway East and perhaps one end of the Mon Valley Toll Road.

More Pitt buildings, such as more graduate student housing, and the UPMC Sports Fields could have been put back on campus. Then they'd have spaces for intramurals and such.

By the way, Bob O'Connor loved those ideas. I delivered them to city council in 1999ish.

Another idea that has merit to speak of again, but not mine, comes when talking about the new stadiums for the Pirates and Steelers, but the Pens were left out. A guy had a great vision of building PNC Park on top of a sunken ice facility. The same footprint would hold both the baseball and hockey venues.

The baseball field is the roof of the hockey facility. Much of the stands and fan infrastucture can be shared. That would have been great.

Today, I guess we could still flood the ballfield and play outdoor hockey with the red line about the pitchers mound.

No comments: