As I write this, construction on the new Penguins' arena is officially underway.
Groundbreaking on the future fortress of the most exciting young team in hockey took place at roughly eleven o'clock this morning, right across the street from Mellon Arena, the home of the Penguins since their inception into the NHL in 1967. Several politicians were on hand for the ceremonies, as well as a few Penguins front office officials and players. Ground was broken at the spot that will also host the center ice dot, where Crosby, Malkin, and Staal will take faceoffs for many years to come.
The arena is set to have a capacity of over 18,000, about a thousand more seats than the Igloo.
It will have over 2000 seats in a club level.
It will have 66 luxury suites, in a possible ode to Penguins great Mario Lemieux.
The site of the envisioned palace encompasses about eight acres.
It looks beautiful from where I'm standing.
The team has already made an official website for the new building.
It can be found here.
This is the biggest win in the history of the Penguins organization.
To think that we were once perhaps only weeks away from losing our team to the pathetic hockey town of Kansas City seems quite amazing. A team that hit rock bottom now stands atop the hockey world, with a future far brighter than any other in the NHL.
The arena is expected be open for the 2010-2011 season.
And I can't wait.
3 comments:
I'm so excited, and it won't even be built for a while ... It looks really nice, I have been looking at the videos and such for the new arena, and I'm happy. I can't wait, but also, I'm going to miss the Igloo. So many memories from that place, I'll be sad when it goes down ... all the random Pittsburghers that I never met before starting conversations about Malkin going to have a better season. Or me defending Malone and having a guy back me up. Or all the times I was screaming, jumping up and down, watching in horror. From the times I was praying for us to reclaim the glory we had in Lemieux's days until now when I now we are going in the right direction. I'm going to miss everything about that place, but I know there will be great memories in the new arena.
Kaspar it's amazing.
All that we, as fans, have been through. We deserve this. The city deserves this. The team deserves it. And Mario deserves it.
I don't even think we need a new arena. I love the Igloo.
But still, I'm excited. This is the building where Crosby and Malkin will become legends, where you and I are going to take our kids to games at.
It's just amazing when you think about it.
I hope I can be a season-ticket holder when I'm older *laughs* I need to get a good paying job for that and everything else I need ... good thing I'm going into marketing *laughs*
Crosby and Malkin are definitely going to be legends here, and I hope Flower becomes one, too.
I'm glad that I'll be in the area when I'm in college or I'd be screwed out of seeing the games there ... I can't wait for this new arena. I can't wait for the name, either; I think they should give the name like "Lemieux Arena sponsored by whoever" that would be nice ... maybe they'll make a contest for the best fan developed arena name, now that would be awesome!
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