"Energy" the new home of the Pittsburgh Penguins

As sad as we are about the Igloo no longer serving as the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins… and as upsetting as it is that there are a handful of suits in the city who are trying their darnedest to organize the demise of the historical steel arena… it’s still hard not to appreciate some of the attributes of the new Consol Energy Center.

But one of those attributes that is definitely not to be appreciated is the main sign. It’s on the verge of being idiotic. For $321,000,000 they could have afforded a better design for the sign. Who’s bright idea was it to put black letters on a dark surface? This seems like something that should have been double checked. Now, when visitors get off the parkway (or come from downtown) they are welcomed by “Energy” …the brand new home of the Pens.

The Boring

A lot of Pittsburghers remember the good ol’ days when things were simple. Our hockey stadium was called the “Civic Arena”, the baseball/football field was the Three Rivers Stadium. Now, companies shove their corporate identities down our throats like geese being prepped for foie gras. It’s obnoxious, annoying, and downright boring.

Is it really worth their while? Does it make you want to rush to First Niagara bank to open a checking account after seeing a John Mayer concert?

If you think naming buildings is boring, get ready for a new wave of corporate branding. They now buy the rights to name doorways, staircases, and concession stands. The main gate at the Consol Energy Center is called the American Eagle Gate. They even call the student rush program, the American Eagle Student Rush. American Eagle Outfitters is a Pittsburgh based company that was founded in 1977. Their corporate headquarters is located in Southside Works, but their clothes are made in places like Vietnam. How perfect would that be if they opened up a factory in Braddock… since Levi’s isn’t.

• American Eagle Gate
• Verizon Gate
• Trib Total Media Gate
• Aramark concession stands
• Highmark Kid Zones
• Corporate branding of the bathrooms still available

A Pittsburgh Threesome?

Who knew that the construction of a new arena was contingent upon bringing gambling to Pittsburgh? Surprisingly, a lot of Pens fans still don’t know that Mario Lemieux and crew were working diligently to get a new arena for the team and after being extended an offer (they couldn’t refuse) by a casino company, Lemieux, Ravenstahl, and Rendell teamed up and struck a deal.

The Lemieux Group explored options to build a replacement for Mellon Arena, the oldest arena in the NHL, since its purchase of the Penguins in 1999.^[5] In an attempt not to use public funding, the Penguins filed for a slots license under the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The Penguins were granted the license, though the decision of which casino company would receive approval was the Gaming Control Board’s decision.^[6] The Lemieux Group reached an agreement with Isle of Capri Casinos, which offered to fully fund a US$290 million arena, if Capri could also construct a $500 million casino nearby.^[6] Other casinos, including Majestic Star Casino and Forest City Enterprises, also agreed to partially contribute to the arena’s funding.^[7] On December 20, 2006, the Gaming Control Board awarded the license to Majestic Star Casino, who agreed to pay $7.5 million for the first 30 years,^[8] in addition to the Penguins paying $4 million per year.^[9][10] The casino experienced financial difficulty, which could have led to taxpayers financing the entire project. However, on August 14, 2008 the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board selected Neil Bluhm to take ownership of the casinos, which pulled the casinos out of risk of bankruptcy.^{[11] -from Wikipedia here}

When that much money is being passed around, it’s hard to believe that the parties involved don’t get uber wealthy from the deal-sealing handshake.

Some quick facts:

• Ground was broken for the construction of the Consol Energy Center August 14th, 2008, almost exactly 2 years to build. The Civic Arena took about 4 years.
• The Civic Arena cost $22 million to build in 1961. The Consol Energy Center cost $321 million in 2010.
• The Civic Arena holds a hockey audience of 17,132. The Consol Energy Center, 18,087.
• The Energy Center opens on Augusts 19th, 2010 with  a concert by Paul McCartney at 7:30pm
• The University of Pittsburgh men’s basketball team will play Tennessee at the Consol Energy Center on December 11, 2010.

The Good

The new hockey rink comes with a much needed front lobby equipped with some awesome high-tech goodies. When you walk in the door to the left you will find a wall of touch screens with look into the Hall of Famers of Penguins’ past.  PensGear, A huge Penguins team store is directly ahead. The ticket counter towards the right. And if you keep going right, you will find a steep stairwell down to a lower gate with three 360 degree hanging LCD screens. The lobby is open for fans even when there isn’t a game – the hours are 11am-6pm Monday-Friday, and on weekends after Labor Day. Check out those huge hanging screens in the video below…
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Let’s Go Pens!