Penguins present plans for Civic Arena site

Houses, townhouses, office and apartment towers, a 150-room hotel, sidewalk cafes, retail and a huge outdoor plaza with a large video screen to watch playoff hockey games or movies -- it's all part of the Penguins' $440 million vision for redeveloping the former Civic Arena site.

The details were part of the preliminary land development plan the hockey team submitted to the city Friday -- formally kicking off the quest to convert the 28 acres of public land, now used mainly for parking, into a dynamic mixed-use development with the ambitious goal of transforming the Hill District and the region as a whole.

"The key for us is that this is yet another important milestone in moving development forward on this site," said Travis Williams, the team's chief operating officer.

The Penguins, who hold the development rights to the land, are proposing 1,100 units of housing, 500,000 square feet of office space and 250,000 square feet of commercial space on the lower Hill site.

The preliminary land development plan, which the city planning commission must approve, will serve as the blueprint for the development. The intent is to "encourage those sparks of creativity and inspiration from developers that will help create a remarkable rebirth of the lower Hill and expansion of Downtown."

The team also is seeking to change zoning to a specially planned district so it can implement its vision.

Much of the plan involves technical specifications on aspects such as building heights, landscaping and construction materials. Although many development details have been known, some new wrinkles emerged.

One is a proposed "major public destination facility plaza" across the street from Consol Energy Center and adjacent to the new Wylie Avenue.

It would include a "gently sloping lawn that culminates in an amphitheater and a stage." The site would feature a large video display screen, attached to the stage, a pavilion or an entertainment/ retail complex planned as part of the development, to show Penguins games, other sporting events, concerts and movies. There also would be spots for food kiosks and trucks.

The team compares the public space to New York City's Bryant Park. It could be used for festivals and activities.

Another new element is a deck to be built over Crosstown Boulevard to help reconnect the Hill to Downtown.

The Penguins are planning a stand-alone pavilion with a restaurant with outdoor dining or a retail destination with outdoor seating as part of the deck. A tree-lined promenade with gardens and benches could double as an overlook with views of the Downtown skyline.

Team officials intend to reserve much of the site closest to Crawford Square for residential development. The rest would include office, residential, hotel, retail, entertainment and restaurants. The goal is a "walkable, vibrant neighborhood with a mix of uses typical of a traditional Pittsburgh neighborhood."

Buildings closest to Washington Place and Downtown would be limited to 180 feet in height. They would be limited to 50 feet in height at the eastern edge closest to Crawford Square. Buildings could be three to 12 stories, the latter reserved for the largest office and residential towers. Although the plan estimates the total cost of the lower Hill redevelopment at $440 million, Mr. Williams said investment could very well top $500 million, noting initial projections were made when neither the economy nor Downtown were doing as well as they are now.

According to the plan, the development will create 4,312 construction jobs and 2,948 permanent jobs. Once complete, it is expected to generate an estimated $25.1 million in taxes each year.

As part of the city review process, the team is scheduling four public meetings on the plan. The first will be at 6 p.m. Oct. 6 at Kaufmann Center in the Hill. A second will be conducted Oct. 13 or 14 Downtown or in Uptown. Two others will be scheduled later in the process.

The Penguins were able to move forward with the development after reaching a comprehensive agreement with local political leaders and the Hill community on issues such as affordable housing and minority business participation. That agreement will create a tax increment financing district, with 65 percent of the tax revenue from the arena development used to make improvements in other parts of the Hill and Uptown.