URA adds conditions to Penguins' proposal for Civic Arena site development

In a 3-2 vote, the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh voted Wednesday to approve a development proposal for the old Civic Arena site, with three amendments added to the deal.

They include removing opposition by community groups, adding a 40 percent penalty if the work’s not done by the 2023 deadline and sending money from a 10 percent tax break to the Hill District Redevelopment Fund.

Not everyone was pleased with the outcome of the vote.

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“I don't understand why they're getting any parking revenue at all,” said a Hill District resident at the meeting. “So that's a concern.”

But City Council members like Daniel Lavelle say this is a lot better than what they originally had to work with.

“For me personally, there were more barriers to this, which is why I voted ‘no’ on the whole,” he said. “But what I do acknowledge is that this is better than where we were. We were handed a horrible, horrible, horrific deal and with the help of our mayor, with the help of our director, we've tried to make this better.”

Now the Pens will have until Dec. 15 to pass the agreement, including those three amended conditions.

After the meeting, Channel 11 tried to speak with a Pens representative but we were told they had no comment.

Cox Media Group