Whether You're a Hockey Fan Or Not, If You Grew up in Pittsburgh, The

page 1 of 3 (Editorial Note: This was originally posted on ThePensandthepen.com. Whether you’re a hockey fan or not, if you grew up in Pittsburgh, the Civic Arena almost certainly resides in a special place within your memory. The shiny, stainless steel dome peeking out as you round the ramp to Center Ave., the aroma of popcorn that would hit you just as you crossed the threshold, and all of the historic events that took place within; there was always an electricity about it, no matter what the event was. It’s an iconic place that symbolizes Pittsburgh. It’s not flashy or Time’s Up. The Last Regular Season Game at Mellon Arena high-end. It is what it is; it’s utilitarian. It has done its job for 50 years, and it’s still cool in its own way. Now, after all of the history, after all of the memories, after all of the excitement and emotion that the concerts and hockey games, circuses and political events engendered beneath its dome, its fate is unknown. It sits there, fenced off, dark and silently looking towards its replacement: the bright, spacious, state-of-the-art Consol Energy Center (CEC). The two buildings couldn’t be any more different. But then again, they couldn’t be more A Postgame Goodbye to my Second Home: E17 Row C Seats 5&6 similar. They are both loved and hated. The Civic Arena was cramped, dingy and sorely outdated. But, it had character - a personality all its own - and a soul that all of the old hockey barns, like Boston Garden and the Montreal Forum had. There was just something admirable - something comforting - about it. “There is no place like the Igloo. I reminiscence on all of the wonderful times I had at the Pittsburgh staple. I would hate to see it destroyed. The Arena has so many memories to the city as a whole, and point blank: it is our city’s history.” Shannon Boyle, of Pittsburgh, said. page 2 of 3 She’s not alone in her wish for a stay of demolition for the dome. Andrew Fedor would like to see the Arena gutted and turned into a public sports and recreation center, with shops and restaurants. “Pittsburgh needs a good sports complex; a place to participate in sports and fitness. There isn’t any place good to eat before the game. The Verizon Center in D.C. is like a mall inside. Anyone can walk right in and go to the restaurants, go bowling or shop. I walked right in on a game day, but I just couldn’t go into the arena part.” He said. While the Civic Arena is beloved, despite being dank and dark, the CEC is bright, spacious and a state- of-the-art jewel in the blighted Hill District neighborhood. The sightlines are unparalleled. The food is a huge upgrade from the typical nachos and pretzels that were staples across the street. The concourses are brightly-lit, wide- open valleys of merchandise and excitement, but, it doesn’t have a personality of its own yet. Maybe because it still has that “fresh out Consol Energy Center: The House that Mario Built of the plastic wrap” feel to it. Or maybe because it’s just so different than the Civic Arena. Maybe, after decades of squeezing into the narrow, 50-year-old seats, and the thousands of people herding themselves down cramped stairways and through narrow concourses, the fans of Pittsburgh need to grow adjusted to their new palatial digs. The Civic Arena had flaws and quirks that endeared it to Pittsburgh - a leaky roof that enabled snow and slush to drip down onto attendees, and the random seat directly behind a steel support beam - but much like our first car that always broke down, Pittsburgh still loved that old dilapidated dome. The idea of a deal giving the Penguins a new home seemed as improbable as every one of the 17,132 nightly attendees during hockey season simultaneously hitting the Powerball. Because of this, Pittsburghers embraced our home of hockey. We took pride in it. It was unpretentious, but welcoming. It WAS Pittsburgh. page 3 of 3 The quirks of the CEC, which are not unlike those of any brand-new building, make it seem anything but special. It’s too loud, too From dome to downtown cold, the lines for The CEC has LEDs for days and a beautiful new scoreboard concessions and restrooms get tangled with each other, and they flood out into the concourses and impede traffic. But it’s a far cry from seats with springs coming through the cloth, bottlenecked stairways - which may have created a fire hazard - and the feeling one was doing a tightrope routine while walking down the row to their seat. No matter how we feel about our old Dome Sweet Dome, the end is almost certainly near for the Civic Arena. Several lawsuits and filings for historic landmark status have all been rejected. When the new arena deal was done, the Sports and Exhibition Authority gave the development rights of the Civic Arena site to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Penguins’ plans for the land include 208,000 square feet of commercial space, 600,000 square feet of office space, a hotel, parking structures, green space and 1200 residential units. So perhaps it’s time to give it a sendoff, fitting of the Pittsburgh of today. Annie Burroughs of Pittsburgh said, “They should use it in the new Batman Movie. Maybe even blow it up.” A fitting tribute, considering the explosive growth of the Pittsburgh movie business since the Arena’s construction. Pittsburgh will certainly grow to love and take pride in the CEC; the kinks will surely be worked out, and even though the physical structure of the Civic Arena may soon be gone, our memories of all the great times there will always remain. One of the many things that gave Mellon Arena its charm: the handmade banners that hung from the facades of the E and F balconies.

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