Hill District group files appeal over new arena
By Mark Belko, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A Hill District group filed an appeal today over city Planning Commission approval of a master plan for a new arena in its neighborhood.
The appeal is part of the group’s fight for a community benefits agreement as part of the construction of the $290 million replacement for Mellon Arena.
In its appeal, the One Hill Community Benefits Agreement Coalition, joined by four other groups, is asking a Common Pleas judge to vacate the commission’s Jan. 14 approval of the master plan for the project and return the issue to the planning commission to address procedural and other issues.
Paul Ellis, an attorney for One Hill, said the appeal was not necessarily designed to block arena construction but was filed to “preserve our legal rights and keep our options open.” Today was the last day an appeal could be filed.
“We remain optimistic that we can negotiate a CBA around the arena development that will be beneficial to the Hill, the city, the Penguins and our region,” Mr. Ellis said.
Among the issues One Hill raises in the appeal is the absence of commission member Todd Reidbord for most of the Jan. 14 hearing while he attended a Pitt basketball game. He returned to vote in favor of the master plan “in spite of the fact that he failed to hear, and therefore could not consider, most of the public testimony,” the appeal said.
One Hill also claimed the master plan did not provide adequate parking for the arena and failed to consider environmental and social impacts, particularly on the Hill District.
While the appeal does not seek to stop work at the arena site, Carl Redwood, the coalition’s chairman, said the group will do everything in its power to stop construction absent a benefits agreement.
One Hill representatives were meeting with Pittsburgh and Allegheny County officials today to continue talks on an agreement. The group is seeking a grocery store, a percentage of arena jobs and construction jobs, and a community investment fund, among other items.
they make this out to be such a big deal and they want everything, meanwhile one of their commission members skips the hearing and goes to a basketball game. lolzers
Clipsburgh, Pistolvania
