Civic Arena Dome: Open During Demolition

Pixburgh, PA

Civic Arena open dome during demolition

Civic Arena open dome during demolition

This is the last time we will ever have the chance to see beyond the retractable roof of the Civic Arena. Since the onset of this situation, many have questioned why the arena sat there many years without having the dome opened. There is an entire generation (or two) of Pittsburghers that probably didn’t even believe it was possible. It doesn’t really matter at this point, just enjoy it while it lasts.

This photo was taken from the top of the Steel Building.
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Batman Says Suck It, Pittsburgh!

Batman blowing up the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh - by DJ Coffman

Batman blowing up the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh - by DJ Coffman

Inside dope… more rumors!

Here’s a little post-it doodle I did at Pittsburgh Comicon last weekend. There were location scouts and casting people inside The Con floating around, one guy I remembered from Chicago filming (and seeing him at Chicago Comicon for sure), so I asked about the rumor and he said that an offer WILL be made that “they won’t refuse” to not only take the Mellon down, but pay for the entire cleanup and removal way faster than the city could do it.

KDKA may have debunked the rumors for now, but we’ll have to wait until this summer to see what goes down with the Igloo when Batman: The Dark Knight Rises turns the Burgh into Gotham City.
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Batman Not Going to Explode the Igloo?

The rumors about Batman filming in Pittsburgh are 100% true, but rumors about why are (supposedly) 100% false. According to a report by KDKA’s Jon Delano, the Pittsburgh Film Office and the SEA are denying any connection between the removal of the vacant arena and Batman: The Dark Knight Rises.

That means we will not be seeing an exploding Civic Arena scene in the movie.

Yes, the story went viral. No, it might not be true. But if Pittsburgh intends on calling itself “Hollywood of the East,” we’d better loosen up and get used to it. Rumors make up an entire industry in the real Hollywood.
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Batman to Blow Up the Civic Arena?

Batman Dark Knight will blow up the Civic Arena on film?

Batman Dark Knight will blow up the Civic Arena on film?

The picture above is an artistic rendition of what it could look like if the destruction of the Civic Arena happens on a Hollywood budget. There is brewing speculation that one reason Batman: The Dark Knight Rises ultimately chose Pittsburgh as a shooting location is because there may have been a top-secret arrangement to incorporate the demolition of the dome into the film.

Speculation is the SEA, Gov. Corbett and the PFO arranged to allow Nolan to blow up the Civic Arena as part of a key sequence in The Dark Knight Rises.   In so doing, the PFO guaranteed the projected blockbuster would carry a Pittsburgh label and helped secure its budget, the SEA washed its hands of a liability and the new governor, while still overseeing the project, has someone else pay for the destruction of the Civic Arena.

Read the full article: Did collusion, explosion of Civic Arena, bring BATMAN to town?

If the Igloo is bound to be leveled, it would be more fun watching it on a Batman DVD than crappy iPhone videos on YouTube. However, it’s unnerving if the deal outlined above truly was sealed behind closed doors. Why wouldn’t they just let us know their intentions? It’s not like we won’t see in a couple months time…
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