The Paint Can The House thatCrosby Built | |
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 PPG Paints Arena in 2017 | |
  PPG Paints Arena Location near Downtown Pittsburgh Show map of Downtown Pittsburgh PPG Paints Arena Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania PPG Paints Arena Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Former names | Consol Energy Center (2010–2016) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1001Fifth Avenue |
| Location | Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°26′22″N79°59′21″W / 40.43944°N 79.98917°W /40.43944; -79.98917 |
| Public transit |  Steel Plaza |
| Owner | Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County |
| Operator | Anschutz Entertainment Group |
| Capacity | Basketball: 19,000 Concerts: 14,536–19,758 Ice hockey: 18,087 (2010–2011) 18,387 (2011–2023) 18,187 (2023–present) |
| Field size | 720,000 sq ft (67,000 m2) |
| Surface | Multi-surface (ice) |
| Scoreboard | Mitsubishi 15' × 25' "Black-Packaged LED" |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 14, 2008 |
| Built | August 2008 – August 2010 |
| Opened | August 18, 2010 |
| Construction cost | US$321 million ($469 million in 2024 dollars)[1] |
| Architect | Populous (formerly HOK Sport)[2] Astorino[3] Architectural Innovations[3] Fukui Architects[3] Lami Grubb[3] |
| Project manager | ICON Venue Group[4] |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti/Raudenbush |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers, Inc. |
| General contractor | Hunt Construction Group[5] |
| Main contractors | Oxford Development Pittsburgh Arena Development, LP |
| Tenants | |
| Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) (2010–present) Pittsburgh Power (AFL) (2011–2014) | |
| Website | |
| ppgpaintsarena | |
PPG Paints Arena is a multi-purpose indoorarena inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that serves as the home of thePittsburgh Penguins of theNational Hockey League (NHL). It previously was the home of thePittsburgh Power of theArena Football League (AFL) from 2011 to 2014.
Construction was completed on August 1, 2010,[6] and the arena opened in time for the 2010–11 NHL season.[7] It replaced the Penguins' former arena,Civic Arena (formerly known as Mellon Arena), which was completed in 1961. A ceremonial ground-breaking was held on August 14, 2008. The arena is the firstLeadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold-certified arena in both the NHL and AFL.[8] Soon after the arena opened in 2010 it was named "Best New Major Concert Venue" in thePollstar Concert Industry Awards and "Best NHL Arena" in theSports Business Journal reader poll.[9][10] The arena was originally namedConsol Energy Center (CEC) afterConsol Energy purchased the naming rights in December 2008. The current name comes from Pittsburgh-basedPPG Industries, who purchased naming rights in October 2016.[11][12]
Soon after buying the Penguins in 1999,Mario Lemieux began exploring a replacement forPittsburgh Civic Arena, the oldest arena in the NHL (built in 1961).[13] 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.[14] The Lemieux Group reached an agreement withIsle of Capri Casinos, which offered to fully fund a US$290 million arena, if Capri could also construct a $500 million casino nearby.[14] Other casinos, includingMajestic Star Casino andForest City Enterprises, also agreed to partially contribute to the arena's funding.[15] 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,[16] in addition to the Penguins paying $4 million per year.[17][18] 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 selectedNeil Bluhm to take ownership of the casinos, which pulled the casinos out of risk of bankruptcy.[19] The casino, now known as theRivers Casino, eventually opened on August 9, 2009, in the North SideChateau neighborhood.
The arena's funding plan was agreed upon by Lemieux, Pittsburgh mayorLuke Ravenstahl, and Pennsylvania governorEd Rendell on March 13, 2007, after much negotiation.[20] During negotiations, the Penguins explored moving the franchise toKansas City orLas Vegas (the latter of whichreceived an NHL expansion team in 2017); after the deal was made the Penguins agreed to stay in Pittsburgh for at least 30 more years.[20] Lemieux later stated that relocating the franchise was never a possibility, but instead it was a negotiation tactic to help the team get funding for the arena from both state and local officials.[21] The arena was originally scheduled to open for the 2009–10 NHL season; however, this was pushed back to the 2010–11 NHL season.[22][23] The arena was expected to cost approximately $290 million, but rose to $321 million due to increased cost of steel and insurance.[24][25] The Penguins agreed to pay $3.8 million per year toward construction, with an additional $400,000 per year toward capital improvements.[20] After $31 million cost rise, the Penguins pledged an additional $15.5 million, while the State and Sports and Exhibition Authority split the difference.[24][25] In September 2009, the State contributed an additional $5.08 million from the "Pennsylvania Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund" to cover a rising "interest on variable rate bonds".[26]
Populous, designers ofPNC Park andHeinz Field, designed the building working with local architect Astorino to develop the construction documents, while the ICON Venue group andOxford Development oversaw the building of the arena.[27] More than a dozen buildings were razed in order to create room for the new arena.[28] On April 8, 2008, Populous presented design renderings to the Pittsburgh City Planning Commission, receiving negative feedback.[7] Local architect Rob Pfaffmann went so far as to say, "If I put aHome Depot sign on that, it looks like a Home Depot."[7] Populous returned on May 6 with new plans, which were unanimously approved by the City Planning Commission.[29][30]
"This is going to be, technologically, one of the most advanced buildings in the country."
The Penguins have contacted the Pittsburgh Technology Council, which includes 1,400 businesses, in order to find new technologies to implement into the arena's design.[32] On demand replays from touch-screens will be available in luxury suites, while "Yinz Cam"—a system developed byCarnegie Mellon University students—will allow any fans to view instant replays from multiple angles on their cell phones.[31] The arena's capacity will be 18,087 for hockey, in honor ofSidney Crosby's number87,[13] and 19,000 for basketball games.[33] The venue will hold 14,536 to 19,758 for concerts, depending on the layout. The venue will also include 1,950 club seats and 66 suites, in honor ofMario Lemieux's number66.[33] Ticket prices will range from $115,000 to $150,000 per season for luxury boxes to individual game tickets at $22.[34] Ken Sawyer, Penguins' chief executive officer, asked that the interior be modeled after that of the venue then known asJobing.com Arena inGlendale, Arizona.[35] "I was just taken aback by their seats," said Sawyer, "Even when I was up in a high level, I had a great view."[35] NHL CommissionerGary Bettman called the building "very well designed."[36] Bettman liked the size of the concourses and the view offered of Pittsburgh's skyline.[36]
Mario Lemieux along with officials from thestate andlocal governments ceremonially broke ground on a new hockey arena on August 14, 2008.[37] Shovels, with shafts made from team captain Sidney Crosby's usedhockey sticks, were used for the ground-breaking ceremony.[38][39] Erection ofstructural steel took place from January 2009[35] to August 2009.[40] While the arena was under construction, the Penguinswon theStanley Cup, and brought the Cup to the arena's construction site on July 9, 2009, during the offseason.[41]
The arena was originally named forConsol Energy, the largest producer ofbituminous coal in the United States,[42] which signed a 21-year agreement with the Penguins in December 2008.[43] Secondary sponsors of the arena arePNC Wealth Management,UPMC,Verizon,American Eagle Outfitters, andDick's Sporting Goods, the last three being existing sponsors carrying over from the Civic Arena.[44] On October 4, 2016,PPG Industries purchased thenaming rights from Consol as a result of Consol wanting to get out of the naming rights deal due to the company struggling financially as a result oflow energy prices. Consol, which is also planning on letting its naming rights deal forConsol Energy Park expire, will remain a corporate sponsor with the Penguins in a lesser role.[11][12]
PPG Paints Arena is one of the only major sports venues whosesoft drink contract is not withThe Coca-Cola Company orPepsiCo. (Coca-Cola previously held the contract with Civic Arena.) Instead,Dr Pepper Snapple Group holds a contract, and serves its own products such asRC Cola,Diet Rite,Cherikee Red, andSunkist Orange Soda, in addition to its more popular brands such asDr Pepper,7 Up, andA&W Root Beer that are typically sold alongsideCoca-Cola orPepsi products in other venues. At the time of the arena's opening,Heinz Field sold Coca-Cola products andPNC Park sold Pepsi products, making Pittsburgh's three major sporting venues initially each selling different soft drinks. In 2012, Heinz Field joined PNC Park in pouring Pepsi products, breaking a 50-year commitment with Coca-Cola, while PNC Park switched to Coca-Cola products for 2014.[45] The final years of the Civic Arena were without a pouring rights contract due to its impending demolition. In this time, Coca-Cola retained pouring rights in fountains (seemingly due to the cost of a large scale changeover) and Dr Pepper/7 Up products were exclusively sold in bottles. This is one of the few times that a venue this large has sold products from competing soft drink companies.[46]
As with most other NHL arenas, the Penguins make use of agoal horn whenever the team scores a goal at home. It is also played just before the beginning of a home game, and after the Penguins win. Their current goal horn, made byNathan Manufacturing, Inc. and introduced in 2005 to coincide with the arrival ofSidney Crosby to the team, was brought over from the Civic Arena to the PPG Paints Arena after the Penguins closed the Civic Arena.[47][48]
Team owner Mario Lemieux and captain Sidney Crosby officially opened the new ice on July 27, 2010, the same day as the official press conference to announce the2011 NHL Winter Classic atHeinz Field. The two skated for about five minutes before being joined on the ice by a group of young hockey fans all wearing Lemieux's #66 or Crosby's #87 jerseys.[49]
The Penguins opened the arena with a pre-season game on September 22, 2010, with a 5–1 win over the rivalDetroit Red Wings. PenguinsforwardMike Comrie scored the first goal in the new arena, 81 seconds into the game.[50] The team also added a third home pre-season game to the schedule. Team President David Morehouse said, "Our feeling is that more fans will want the chance to see and experience Consol Energy Center, so we thought it made sense to add the third preseason home game."[51]
The Penguins officially opened the building on October 7, 2010, against theircross-state rivalsPhiladelphia Flyers, with the Penguins falling 3–2. The first goal was scored by the Flyers forwardDaniel Brière at 2:51 in the 2nd period, apower play goal. The first Penguin goal was scored by forwardTyler Kennedy 44 seconds into the third period. The stars of the game were awarded to Kennedy,Claude Giroux and Flyers rookie goaltenderSergei Bobrovsky, who made 29 of 31 saves in his NHL debut.[52] The Penguins earned their first win at the arena on October 15, 2010, against theNew York Islanders, prevailing on an overtime power-play goal by defensemanAlex Goligoski. It was also the first overtime game at the new arena. GoaltenderBrent Johnson earned the win for the Penguins, making 22 saves.[53]
The first playoff game in PPG Paints Arena was against theTampa Bay Lightning on April 13, 2011. The first playoff goal in the building was scored byAlexei Kovalev. The Penguins would go on to win the first playoff game by a score of 3–0.Marc-André Fleury had a 32-save shutout. The Penguins would go on to lose in seven games.[54]
During the 2011 off-season, 300 seats were added, increasing the hockeyseating capacity from 18,087 to 18,387.[55]
PPG Paints Arena hosted its first Stanley Cup Finals in2016, which saw the Penguins defeat theSan Jose Sharks in six games to clinch its fourth Cup. Although the Penguins clinched the Cup at theSAP Center (home of the Sharks), PPG Paints did host a watch party for what turned out to be the series-clinching game, charging $10 for admission with all proceeds going to the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. Concessions and the team store were open, and the arena's goal horn played after every Penguins goal just like at a regular home game.[56] The arena hosted a similar watch partythe following year for game six while the Penguins played theNashville Predators atBridgestone Arena, which like the year before turned out to be the series-clinching game for the Penguins' fifth Cup.[57]
On July 13, 2010, the arena was selected to host the2013 NCAA Frozen Four, scheduled for April 11 and 13, 2013. The Penguins along withRobert Morris University hosted the first NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey championship held in the state ofPennsylvania; the event also marked the first time that an NCAA championship game in a major team sport had been held in the city of Pittsburgh. "We are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen to host the 2013 Frozen Four at the (Consol Energy Center)," RMU head men's ice hockey coachDerek Schooley said. "The Frozen Four will be a major showcase for the city of Pittsburgh as well as our emerging hockey program. This is one of the NCAA's premier events, and Robert Morris and the city of Pittsburgh will be an excellent host."[58]
In December 2012, the arena began hosting theThree Rivers Classic, a two-dayDivision I college ice hockey tournament. The inaugural tournament took place on December 28–29, 2012 and featured teams fromPenn State, Robert Morris,Ohio State andMiami (Ohio). Robert Morris won the first Classic title in a 1–0 win over Miami. The 2013 Classic featured Robert Morris and Penn State as the permanent fixtures, and also featuredBoston College andBowling Green University, with Boston College winning 8–2 over Penn State in the championship game. Meanwhile, teams such asMichigan andMinnesota are seen as potential participants for upcoming Classics.[59]
The first collegiate event at PPG Paints Arena was the fifth-annual College Hockey Showcase on October 17, 2010, hosted by Robert Morris. In the event's first game theLady Colonials were defeated 4–3 by theNortheastern Huskies. The ColonialsACHA club team beatPitt 6–4. In the arena's first NCAA men's game, theColonials men's team defeatedAir Force, 3–2.[60]
In conjunction with the2011 NHL Winter Classic, held on January 2 at nearby Heinz Field, a collegiate game and anAmerican Hockey League (AHL) game were contested at PPG Paints Arena on December 30, 2010. The first game matched theRIT Tigers men's ice hockey team against the Robert Morris Colonials; RIT won 4–3. The second game matched the top-level affiliates of the two Winter Classic teams (the Penguins and the Washington Capitals), theWilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and theHershey Bears; the Bears won 1–0.
On March 17, 2024, thePWHL played a one-off game between theToronto Sceptres and theMontréal Victorie (both of which were unnamed at the time) in front of a crowd of 8,850 fans, making it the largest attended women's hockey game in Pittsburgh.[61]
Both theUniversity of Pittsburgh andDuquesne University have dedicated locker rooms in the arena for use by the schools' basketball teams.[62] Both schools made their first appearance on December 1, 2010, in theCity Game, the first ever basketball game hosted in the venue. A neutral venue, Pitt was designated as the home team for the game,[63] which the Panthers won 80–66. The first points at the arena were made by Duquesne freshman guardT. J. McConnell, with a basket at 27 seconds into the game.[64]
The arena hosted the 2010SEC/Big East Invitational, featuringAuburn playingRutgers andPittsburgh taking onTennessee in Pitt's second appearance at PPG Paints. The games were televised nationally onESPN2 andESPN respectively.[65]
Duquesne hosted three home games in the 2010–11 season: on December 12 againstWest Virginia, againstDayton on January 30, 2011, and againstXavier on February 13, 2011.[66] During the2012–2013 NHL lockout, Duquesne again hosted three home games – December 12 vs.West Virginia, January 19 vs.VCU, and February 9 vs.Xavier. For the 2013–14 basketball season, Duquesne hostedPenn State on December 11 andDayton on February 22.
Duquesne hosted round of 64 and round of 32 games of the2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament at the arena and hosted the round of 64 and round of 32 again in2015. Duquesne had hosted three prior times at Civic Arena:1997,2001 (women's) and2002. In 2022 Duquesne hosted the Round of theNCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
During his tenure asCommissioner of the NBA,David Stern mentioned the arena as a possible home for an NBA franchise should one move to Pittsburgh.[67]
For their 2017–18 season and part of the 2018–19 season, the arena served as the home of theRobert Morris Colonials men's basketball team for several games while the new UPMC Events Center was constructed on campus.
Shortly after PPG Paints was built, theArena Football League considered starting an expansion team in the arena,[68] but the league folded in August 2009.[69] However, after atwo-year hiatus, the AFL returned and eyed an expansion team in Pittsburgh.[70] On August 19, 2010, news sources reported that PPG Paints Arena would be home to thePittsburgh Power, which began play in the spring of 2011. The team's ownership group includes formerPittsburgh Steelers andPro Football Hall of Fame memberLynn Swann. Pittsburgh was the 5th city added for the 2011 AFL season, joining theSan Jose SaberCats,Kansas City Command,New Orleans VooDoo andPhiladelphia Soul – who were all previous members of theArena Football League.[71] In nine home games, the Power averaged 9,197 fans per game, a figure that included an audience of 13,904 that showed up for the season opener against the Philadelphia Soul. Overall, the Power ranked sixth among the 18 Arena Football League teams in average attendance through 17 games that season, and its average attendance was about 1,000 people more than the AFL average.[72]
In 2016, the arena hosted the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions.[73]
The 2019 NCAA Division I men's wrestling championship was held at the arena in March 2019.[74]
The arena has hosted variousWWEpay-per-views and premium live events, includingRoyal Rumble in2014,Roadblock: End of the Line in 2016,Extreme Rules in2018 andPayback in2023. It has also hosted variousRaw andSmackDown TV shows. The arena planned to hostRaw on March 16, 2020, but on March 12, the show, along with all other WWE events at that time, were canceled and relocated to theWWE Performance Center due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[75]
PPG Paints Arena is served by exits at Mile 1 ofInterstate 579 and exits 70A and 72B ofInterstate 376; it is also within 1 mile ofInterstate 279. Three blocks to the west of the center is theSteel Plaza transit station of thePittsburgh subway system.
The arena opened on August 18, 2010, with a performance byPaul McCartney.[76] The demand for the first show was so great that tickets sold out within five minutes of going on sale. This prompted the addition of a second show, a day later on August 19.[77] Originally, Pittsburgh-nativeChristina Aguilera was planning to open the arena on August 3, 2010. Due to conflicts with construction, Aguilera canceled her show.[citation needed]
Justified, anFX television drama that debuted in March 2010, used the center's final construction phase as a filming location to depict the "new Federal Courthouse" on the show.[78]
Grudge Match a 2013 film shot its climactic fight scene at the PPG Paints Arena.[citation needed]
Fans from all over Pittsburgh and Canada filled the lower bowl at PPG Paints Arena [...] as part of Professional Women's Hockey League Takeover Weekend.
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