Trees being removed from Pittsburgh's North Shore to make room for NFL Draft setup

Dozens of trees are going to be removed from Pittsburgh's North Shore to help make way for the setup for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.

VisitPittsburgh said Monday that "a limited number of trees" are scheduled to be removed from the North Shore by the end of March to accommodate infrastructure and public safety requirements when the NFL Draft comes to Pittsburgh.

Renderings of what the NFL Draft Theater and Main Stage are expected to look like were released last month, and the space outside Acrisure Stadium is expected to take up more area than a football field. 

"These trees will actually be removed and mulched," city forester Lisa Ceoffe said.

Along Art Rooney Avenue and West General Robinson Street near Acrisure Stadium, nearly 50 trees were marked with signage from Pittsburgh's Forestry Division, signaling that the trees will be removed. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy said it will be partnering with the city and with VisitPittsburgh to help relocate the trees elsewhere in the city.

Ceoffe said she believes Pittsburgh fared better than other NFL Draft host cities when it comes to getting trees replaced.

"Instead of 57 trees going back, we're going to be getting the inches of those 57 trees, which is over 500 inches," she said. "Which means that we'll be able to plant back approximately 200 to 250 new trees."

That's not just here, but across Pittsburgh. Eventually, new trees will go back near Acrisure Stadium to replace the removed ones as early as this fall.

"Together, we will plant 100 trees in neighborhoods and parks where expanding tree canopy can have the greatest environmental and community impact," the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy said in a statement. "Increasing canopy helps reduce urban heat, improve air quality, manage stormwater, and strengthen neighborhood resilience."

The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy said it will maintain each tree for two years to ensure strong and healthy growth. 

The Pittsburgh Local Organizing Committee said 500 additional trees will be planted across Pittsburgh and Allegheny County, as part of the "environmental legacy" of the draft.

The NFL Draft will be held from April 23-25 and is expected to bring an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 people to the city.