After almost two decades of having the developmental rights to the former Civic Arena site in the Lower Hill, the rights have expired for the Penguins.

Now, it moves to the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Sports and Exhibition Authority.

Timeline of events

In 2007, the Penguins were on the verge of leaving town. To keep them, the Penguins were promised a new arena and developmental rights to the former Civic Arena.

Now in 2025, about 7 of the more than 28 acres of land have been developed. Only the FNB Tower has been completed, while Live Nation is building a concert venue.

“Those spots have been empty for far too long,” said state Sen. Wayne Fontana, the SEA board chairman.

There have been several community meetings and frustrations with a lack of development, including mixed-income housing. In a joint statement, Mayor Ed Gainey and Pittsburgh City Council President Daniel Lavelle said it’s disappointing to see a lack of development over the past 18 years, adding the area must commit to development that not only honors Pittsburgh’s Black history but also repairs the harm done.

The Penguins said in a statement that the organization is committed to inclusive development of the Lower Hill. The team plans to stay engaged in the city’s plans for the area.

“They had the opportunity to do so. They had developers, contractors, and advisors over the years, but still they didn’t get it all done,” Sen. Fontana said.

Community groups like the Hill Community Development Corporation said this is a chance to reset and meet the promises made of community collaboration and implementation plans. The group wants to see development, but wants to see work that will benefit the Lower Hill, Hill District and city. 

It’s a chance to fix the wrongs of urban renewal more than 70 years ago. 

“Instead of talk, we can have some real action there to show we accomplished something in that area,” Fontana said.

The URA says it plans to meet with community groups and work on a plan with the SEA to get future development done.