Groundbreaking Ceremony Takes Place For Redevelopment Of Former Civic Arena Site
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It's been more than a decade of delays, politicking, and dealmaking but on Wednesday, leaders broke ground on the redevelopment at the site of the Civic Arena.
The shovels were out for the "FNB Financial Center."
First National Bank will occupy a 26-story skyscraper there. It will be the first new building on the site in the Lower Hill District since the arena was torn down.
"We're providing for growth, and we're doing so in a manner that's transformational, that pushes social equity, that makes up for past mistakes," said Penguins Chief Operating Officer Kevin Acklin.
"We're going to hold you to that, when you're talking about having employment, contracts, and sparking things that happen beyond the Lower Hill, we're gonna hold you to that," said State Rep. Jake Wheatley.
The FNB Financial Center will be just one part of a billion-dollar redevelopment plan.
Next up will be a concert venue and parking garage, followed by stores, a hotel, and more than a thousand homes.