The Civic Arena (formerly Civic Auditorium and then Mellon Arena ) is an arena located in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Civic Arena primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the National Hockey League (NHL) franchise of the city, from 1967 to 2010.
Built in 1961 for use by the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO), it was the idea of ​​department store owner Edgar J. Kaufmann. It is the world's first openable venue, covering 170,000 square feet, built with nearly 3,000 tons of Pittsburgh steel and is supported only by a large 260 feet long sleeve on the outside. Although designed and engineered as a retractable roof dome, operating costs and repairs to the hydraulic jack stop all full retractions after 1995, and the roof remains permanently closed after 2001. The opening of the first roof was July 4, 1962 Carol Burnett Show where he exclaimed, "Ladies and gentlemen... I dedicate the heavens!"
The Civic Arena hosts various concerts, circuses, politics and religious rallies, roller derbies and contests in hockey, basketball, weighing, pro tennis, boxing, wrestling, lacrosse, soccer, ice skating, kennel shows and soccer ball. This structure was used as the backdrop for several major Hollywood movies, the most prominent of Sudden Death in 1995. Before his death, it was known as Mellon Arena, named after Mellon Financial, in particular American businessman and Secretary to- 49 from Treasury Andrew W. Mellon, who bought naming rights in 1999. Their naming rights expired on August 1, 2010, and the arena was once again known as the Civic Arena.
The Civic Arena closes on June 26, 2010. Former Mellon naming rights soon expire, and the Penguin and all other events move to the new Consol Energy Center - now the PPG Paints Arena. After various groups dismissed the historical status for the venue, it was destroyed between September 2011 and March 2012. Instead, public parking spaces in the area are extended throughout the site. Two of the many roads struck from the city's road plan when the Arena was built initially then extended back through the site: Wylie Street and Fullerton Street. Penguin has the right to redevelop the property and the initial plan is there for housing units, retail space and office space. The delay in rebuilding was partly due to the lingering complaints of Hill District residents claiming inadequate affordable housing was included in the original plan, as well as Penguins wishing to work with the new Mayor in January 2014.
Video Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)
Ownership
Maps Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)
Construction and design
Arena $ 22 million ($ 182 million in 2017 dollars) was completed for the CLO in 1961. Mayor David L. Lawrence has announced plans for a "civil theater" on February 8, 1953 after years of public pressure built after CLO President, leader civil and Kaufmann department store owner Edgar J. Kaufmann announced his intent on December 1, 1948, to find a new home for the group. Funding is provided by a combination of public and private money, including grants from Allegheny County, Pittsburgh City, and Kaufmann. The design of this arena incorporates 2.950 tons of stainless steels from Pittsburgh.
To make room for the arena, the city uses a leading domain to move 8,000 residents and 400 businesses from the lower Hill District. The demolition began in 1955 and was completed in 1960. On 21 July 1959, a steel strike halted work in the arena and delayed its opening date.
Arena is designed for CLO, which previously held production at Pitt Stadium. The roof, supported by a 260-foot arch (79 m), is free of internal support without leaving a seat in it. The roof, which has a diameter of 415 feet (126 m), is divided into eight sections. Six sections can be folded under two - in 2 ½ minutes - making the Civic Arena the world's first major indoor sports stadium with a retractable roof. A total of 42 trucks were installed on 78 wheels, 30 of which were individually driven, supported and moved to six movable sections. Trucks, gears, and 480-volt AC motors that drive the roof are designed and manufactured by Heyl & amp; Patterson Inc., a local specialty engineering firm.
The capacity of the stadium fluctuated depending on the event held, but increased due to the addition between 1972 and 1991. The initial arena consisted only of lower bowl seating, but over time, the top deck was installed in the "end zone" arena to increase capacity. In December 1999, Mellon Financial purchased Arena naming rights in a 10-year deal, $ 18 million, renamed Mellon Arena.
The original center scoreboard was Nissen's electromechanical scoreboard with a digital clock display, which appeared in the film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh . The board was replaced during a 1986 renovation by American Sign and sign board with three-line black/white animation mats on each side, which appeared in Sudden Death. White Way Sign created the final scoreboard arena arena, this one with a Sony JumboTron videoboard on each side, remaining for the last sixteen years of use of the arena.
History and events
On September 17, 1961, Ice Capade hosted the first event of the arena. The skating images globally broadcast on television are aired by the arena three times: The 1983 United States Figure Skating Championships, 1994 and 2004 editions of Skate America all have almost competition for a week.
Political events
The big political rally is part of the early history of the arena. Former President Dwight Eisenhower appeared at a Republican rally on 12 October 1962. President Lyndon B. Johnson presented the campaign address on October 27, 1964, and Senator Barry Goldwater on October 29, 1964. On April 26, 1964, the International Conference for a week and the Debate The Methodist Church opened in the Arena. Vice President Nixon visited for a rally campaign in the arena on October 28, 1968. Henry Kissinger, Frank Borman, and Li Choh-ming visited for the University of Pittsburgh beginning on April 27, 1969.
Boxing match
Muhammad Ali KO'ed Charley Powell on January 24, 1963, to the global television audience of the Civic Arena. Sugar Ray Robinson, Sonny Liston, and Floyd Patterson also participated in boxing matches in the arena. On November 6, 1981, the globally broadcast World Heavyweight Title fought in the arena between Larry Holmes and Renaldo Snipes with an underground battle between Buster Douglas and David Bey.
Professional wrestling
- WWF SummerSlam - 1995
- WWF King of the Ring - 1998
- WWF Unforgiven - 2001
- WWE No Exit - 2005
- WWE Armageddon - 2007
- Bragging Rights WWE - 2009
The King of the Ring in 1998 is remembered for Hell in a Cell match between Mick Foley and Undertaker in which Mick Foley will fall from the top of the cell that suffered some injuries. The last WWE event is Monday Night Raw episode on May 10, 2010. Future events will now take place at PPG Paints Arena.
Basketball
American high school All-Star basketball game The Dapper And Roundball Classic is held in the arena annually between 1965 and 1992. The men's basketball program from both NCAA Division I institutions, the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University, is often used either as a primary home court or secondary, and the last basketball game played in the arena was the second annual competition competition of the school in 2009. Among the two schools, Duquesne made the most widespread use of the arena, using it as a secondary court house from 1961 to 1965 and their full-time home from from 1966 to 1988. From 1984 to 2002, Pitt used the arena for the game of choice against popular opponents.
Philadelphia 76ers, Pittsburgh Pipers, Pittsburgh Condors, Pittsburgh Rens, Pittsburgh Piranhas, and Harlem Globetrotters host regular basketball games in the Arena. The first and second games of the NCAA Men's Division Tournament in 1997 and 2002 were held at the Arena.
Tennis
The Pittsburgh Triangles of World TeamTennis hosted three Eastern Division Championships in the arena from 1974 to 1976 and the Bancroft Cup final in 1975, winning the title on 25 August 1975, with a paid attendance of 6,882.
The Pittsburgh Spirit Major Indoor Soccer League team also hosts matches at the Arena. Roller Derby featuring host New York Chiefs takes place at the Arena as well.
Olympic Gold Medal Winner Mary Lou Retton appeared at the Arena as part of the "Tour of Champions" event on November 2, 1990.
Famous music event
The first rock concert in the arena was emceed by Porky Chedwick on May 11, 1962, as the production of DiCesare Engler and featuring Jackie Wilson, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Castelles, Jerry Butler, The Flamingos, The Angels, The Blue-Belles, and The Skyliners.
On July 11, 1971, the world's first "official" production Jesus Christ Superstar opened at the Civic Arena.
On August 14, 1974, Canadian rock band Rush played the first show on their first US tour with new drummer Neil Peart at the Civic Arena. They are the opening act for Uriah Heep on this show.
Elvis Presley played his last New Year's Eve show at the Civic Arena on December 31, 1976, and played for the bestseller on June 25 and 26, 1973. The Beatles held their concert in Pittsburgh on the crowds in the arena on September 14, 1964. Arena has organized another main concert by every action from Frank Sinatra to Garth Brooks to Jimmy Page/Robert Plant.
In the mid-1970s the arena was among the main places in the country, with Billboard magazine calling it the 9th best in the US on December 30, 1976. Sly and the Stone Family, The Steve Miller Band, Grand Funk Railroad, Boz Scaggs and The Beach Boys all playing the arena in 1974.
The Bee Gees performed two concerts here on 4-5 September 1979 during a successful Spirits Having Flown Trip.
The Jacksons performed at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena on 13 August 1981, during the Triumph Tour.
Pop superstar Michael Jackson performed three concerts at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena on 26 September 27 and 28, 1988 during the Bad World Tour.
Pop singer Britney Spears appeared in the arena once in 2001 on Dream Within a Dream Tour and in 2009 became a best-selling audience as part of her highly successful circus tour.
The Doors recorded their 2 May 1970 concert at the Civic Arena. It will be released 38 years later as "Live in Pittsburgh 1970" aka "Pittsburgh Civic Arena (The Doors album)". It is considered by most music critics to be The Doors of the best live recordings.
The Grateful Dead appearance, on April 2-3, 1989, was recorded and then released as a live album, titled, Download Series Volume 9 , and sparked riots by "Dead Heads" on the last day of the concert, the event which national news and featured by Kurt Loder on MTV News after the arrest of 500 by the Pittsburgh Police Department.
The Rolling Stones performed twice in the arena: March 11, 1999 and January 10, 2003.
The last event was to be Maxwell's concert on July 10, 2010. However, the show was canceled. On June 8, 2010, the arena management group, SMG, announced that the concert tour of James Taylor and Carole King Troubadour Reunion Tour will be the last event at Mellon Arena on 26 June 2010.
Hockey
AHL Hornets
Pittsburgh Hornets, a member of the American Hockey League (AHL) played a home game at Duquesne Gardens, located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. The team played 20 seasons at the Gardens before its demolition, which made room for apartment buildings. Arena opened on September 17, 1961. With Arena available, the Hornets returned to play in the 1961-62 season and then won the Calder Cup in the 1966-67 season.
Penguins
As part of the 1967 NHL expansion, the city of Pittsburgh was chosen to host one of six new franchises. With a seating capacity of 12,508 hockey, the Pittsburgh Mellon Arena is eight seats above the minimum NHL seating benchmark. Due to its outward appearance, Arena was nicknamed "The Igloo" which led to the Penguin naming. The Penguins debuted at the Civic Arena on October 11, 1967, in a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Andy Bathgate scored the first Penguin goal in the arena. It was the first NHL match played between the expansion team and the "Original Six" team. The Penguins won their first game at the Arena on 21 October, when they became the first expansion team to defeat the original NHL franchise - besting the Chicago Black Hawks 4-2. On January 21, 1990, the Civic Arena hosted the 41th National Hockey League All-Star Game. Mario Lemieux Pittsburgh scored three goals in his first three shots - the first 21 seconds into the game. He then scored the fourth goal and was named the Most Valuable Player of the game. Arena also hosted the 1997 NHL Sign In Draft, as well as the Stanley Cup Final of 1991, 1992, 2008, and 2009. The 2008 finals marked the only chance that the Stanley Cup was presented at the Mellon Arena ice, after the Penguin were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings in six competition.
Penguins originally planned to wear a jersey patch to commemorate their last season at Igloo, but were later canceled.
Pittsburgh Penguins played their last regular season game at Mellon Arena on April 8, 2010, when they beat New York Islanders 7-3. Over 50 former Penguins are present for pre-match ceremonies and "team pictures".
Pittsburgh Penguins played their last game at Mellon Arena on May 12, 2010; a 5-2 loss at the hands of Montreal Canadiens to get rid of them from the 2010 Stanley Cup playoff in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. This means Canadiens opened and closed Penguin's career in the arena, handing out defeats at both events.
Seating capacity
The seating capacity of the Civic Arena over time is as follows:
Basketball
NCAA tournament
Civic Arena hosted the first and second round of the NCAA Men's Tournament in 1997 and 2002. The successor of the Consol Energy Center arena also held it in 2012. It also hosted the first and second games in 2001.
Eastern Eight Championships
For five seasons, the arena runs the 8th East Boys Basketball Tournament in March. From 1978 to 1982, many of today's Great Eastern Conference are using the power of Atlantic 10 to fight their conference crowns at the center. For the last season, Mellon Arena hosted a crowd of 16,056 spectators, the third-largest basketball championship championship champions in the country that year.
NBA regular season game
Between 1964 and 1973, the arena hosted 14 regular NBA season games, primarily as a satellite city for the Philadelphia 76ers. On February 24, 1967, in the arena, Wilt Chamberlain set an all-time record for successive NBA field goals as well as a goal percentage of a single NBA field game, a record that still survives. On October 10, 1971, the Milwaukee Bucks world champion led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played the Condors in the arena. The Arena also hosts dozens of pre-season NBA contests from the 1960s to 2009, many of which are hosted by the nearby Cleveland Cavaliers, the closest NBA team to Pittsburgh.
ABA Pipers and Condors
The arena was the home of the American Basketball Association (ABA) Pittsburgh Pipers in 1967-68 and 1969-70 and Pittsburgh Condors from 1970 to 1972. The team moved to Minneapolis for the 1968-69 season before returning. The team was disbanded after the 1971-72 season when the ABA fought.
The Pipers were part of the inaugural ABA season in 1967-68, which quickly formed a rivalry with the older National Basketball Association. On May 4, 1968, Pipers, led by the future Hall of Fame of Connie Hawkins, claimed the first ABA championship, defeated the New Orleans Buccaneers before Game 7 sold out in the 11,457 crowd at the Civic Arena.
![HD] The Civic/Mellon Arena - Bringing Down The House - YouTube](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vBCJN9PiXTeNGA_GUHL2tbkgkk9_x8hSBHRAIuygOL6M9BiuG5nRctMP6GLrnvYtz9PA9gQmGmOeZ_c5mbtShYxX4j7JgAeXsJsLa16UFNQ0syicYZEn9E_joA_Ovm8Q3qrQ4OSVbU=s0-d "HD] The Civic/Mellon Arena - Bringing Down The House - YouTube")
Naming
In 1957, before the arena was opened, the under construction building was officially known as the Civic Auditorium Amphitheater . In 1961, when it opened, the Pittsburgh marker maker had decided that the Civic Arena was better suited to road signs, and a shorter new name was trapped. However, for several years after it was opened, it is sometimes referred to as the Civic Auditorium .
In the early days, The Pittsburgh Dome was also a popular name choice, but nothing happened.
In April 1988, city councilor Mark Pollock proposed to change his name to Richard S. Caliguiri Arena , after the city's popular mayor was diagnosed with amyloidosis. Caliguiri died a month later, and no one came up with this name.
Allegheny County Commissioner Pete Flaherty believes that officially renaming the The Igloo arena will bring marketing potential in 1992. Again, the name Civic Arena lives.
In 1997, Penguin sold naming rights for Allegheny Energy for $ 5 million, which will be renamed Allegheny Energy Dome arena. However, Penguin has no building or naming rights - Pittsburgh's Sports Commission and Allegheny County did, and the deal failed.
However, in 1999, this has changed. When Mario Lemieux bought the Penguins from bankruptcy, naming rights were also given to him. They then sold the rights to Mellon Financial for $ 18 million, and the arena eventually renamed the Mellon Arena . Arena kept its name after Mellon joined The Bank of New York to form The Bank of New York Mellon in 2007 and did not go through with "BNY Mellon" rebranding like other buildings under the name Bank of New York or Mellon like as One Mellon Center.
The Mellon Arena name was allowed to end on August 1, 2010, with the building now empty and the Penguin moved to the new Consol Energy Center (later renamed the PPG Paints Arena) across the street. The official closed building becomes the Civic Arena again.
Replacement, debate, and uninstall
At the close of 2010, the Civic Arena is the smallest and third smallest arena in the NHL by official capacity (Islands and Oilers arena sit fewer). In later years, arena staff were forced to use space for various purposes that were never intended in the original design of the building. The Penguins franchise approved a deal with city and state officials to fund the new home arena for the franchise in March 2007. The PPG Paints Arena is located across the street from the Civic Arena site and has a higher seating capacity. The Penguins played their first match at PPG Paints Arena October 7, 2010.
The March 2007 agreement between SEA and Penguins states that the Civic Arena will be destroyed after the completion of PPG Paints Arena in July 2010. During this time, the SEA made a historic assessment of the arena. It is currently eligible to appear on the National Register of Historic Places, mainly because of its unique and retractable dome. A private consultant for the SEA was hired to conduct the survey. Consultants follow the guidelines of the State History Commission and Museum to determine whether destroying the arena, or reusing it, will affect historic structures or artifacts in the area. Recommendations from consultants to SEA are scheduled to be submitted in June 2010.
On September 16, 2010, the Allegheny County Sports and Exhibition Authority unanimously decided to destroy the Civic Arena. Chairman of the SEA Board, State Senator Wayne Fontana, D-Brookline, said the board's decision will not be final unless someone progresses with a better idea of ​​the use of the Arena. During the summer of 2010, workers moved asbestos from the building while a demolition plan was designed. The board also resolved to sell the assets (handled by the Asset Auction auction company) from within and then will award the demolition contract in February 2011. Supporters to defend the building have vowed to fight the demolition decisions in court, and continue to search for landmark status. On November 24, 2010, the demolition of the building was delayed due to a last-minute nomination as a National Historic Landmark. Also, on 5 January 2011, the Pittsburgh History Review Commission voted 5-1 for preliminary approval of the historic nominating status of the arena. The ballot paved the way for a formal hearing on the proposed appointment on March 2. The HRC finally voted against the landmark status on March 2. After failing to obtain approval of historical status from City Planning and City Council, Preservation Pittsburgh filed a federal suit in another attempt to save the arena. The 3rd appeals court denied the lawsuit saying that it had no jurisdiction in this regard, and the demolition began on Monday, September 26, 2011. Demolition is not a traditional type of demolition for the sports arena. In November 2011, Penguin began selling Christmas ornaments made from Civic Arena steel roofs. The team uses promotions to raise money for charitable foundations. Wendell August Forge, based in Grove City, the oldest and largest in the United States, creates two types of ornaments: one with Pittsburgh arena and horizon and the other with an arena with Penguin logo. Penguin originally planned to sell 6,000 ornaments, but on request, the team eventually sold more than 40,000 pieces. The arena is being demolished from time to time, and was originally expected to be completed in May 2012. However, the demolition finishes early as the last panel of the roof that can be opened falls on March 31, 2012. Video timelapse on YouTube is broken 9 months Civic Arena demolition work only in 31 seconds. This is called "THE DISAPPEARING CIVIC ARENA" . It was posted Tuesday, July 2, 2012, by Daniel A. Yazvac with the description, "9 months of unraveling the Civic Arena" with a handheld camera, time lapse photography.
Currently the parking lot for PPG Paints Arena occupies the former space of the arena.
Use as filming location/recording
The Civic Arena has served as a shooting location for several major Hollywood productions including:
- The Saving Fish of Pittsburgh , a 1979 basketball film starring Flip Wilson, Stockard Channing, and Julius Erving as members of the Pittsburgh Pisces NBA fictitious team.
- Grateful Dead Download Series Volume 9 , 1989
- Sudden Death , a 1995 film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a Pittsburgh firefighter who tried to rescue the Vice-President of the terrorists during the crucial 7 Game of the Stanley Cup final.
- Rock Star , a 2001 movie starring Mark Wahlberg as a musician who headed to the Pittsburgh arena for a concert in 1987.
- Zack and Miri Make a Porno , Kevin Smith's 2008 film; one of the last scene was shot outside the arena.
- She's Out of My League , romantic comedy of 2010; arena and Pittsburgh Penguins are featured as a backdrop on dating nights.
The Arena also serves as the recording location for The Doors album:
References
Further reading
- Cooper, Bruce C. (1994). Michael L. LaBlanc, ed. Professional Sports Team History: Hockey . Detroit: Gale Research Inc. ISBNÃ, 978-0-8103-8862-8. Ã,
- O'Brien, Jim (1994). Penguin Profile . Pittsburgh: James P. O'Brien - Publishing. ISBN: 0-916114-16-3.
External links
- Official website
- Reuse Igloo
- Pittsburgh Penguins: Mellon Arena
- Sports Pittsburgh & amp; Exhibition Authority: Mellon Arena
- YouTube-WQED Pittsburgh Series with Rick Sebak in the Arena
- YouTube - Inside the Pittsburgh Civic (Mellon) Discarded Arena
- Mellon Arena memories from old introduction/manager
- The Civic Arena view from above
- "Dome Withdrawn Will Close Arena." Popular Mechanics , January 1959, p.Ã, 114, the earliest article on the purpose of the dome.
- Civic Arena 50 Years of Music -Pittsburgh Music History
- US Historical Building Survey (HABS) No.Ã, PA-6780, "Civic Arena, 66 Mario Lemieux Place, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania", photo 105, 2-color transparency, measured images 61, 8 pages of data, 21 pages of photo text
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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