Preservation Pittsburgh is seeking creative ideas for an adaptive reuse of the Civic Arena, a structure with conflicting legacies as both a monument to Pittsburgh’s engineering prowess and a symbol of past human injustices. Through the power of imagination, we hope to engage the community and demonstrate to the local political leadership that viable alternatives to demolition exist. In Fall 2010, the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins franchise will move to the newly constructed Consol Energy Center, vacating the distinctive stainless steel dome of the Mellon Arena, formerly named the Civic Arena. In 2007, without any public input, the Sports and Exhibition Authority (SEA) created an agreement with the Penguins that calls for the demolition of the Civic Arena. Believing that preservation is a resource, not a roadblock, for great economic development, Preservation Pittsburgh has long been a proponent of finding a reuse for the Arena to better serve our community. We recognize the importance of public participation in the decision-making process of publicly owned properties and engaging the communities which are most directly impacted. The design competition is intended to answer the question, “What can it become?” We hope the resulting dialogue will inspire the people of Pittsburgh to consider economically viable uses for the Civic Arena.

Registration Deadline: July 29, 2010

Submission Deadline: August 13, 2010

www.preservationpittsburgh.org