aaaahockey Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 https://nextpittsburgh.com/city-design/ura-moves-ahead-with-plan-to-sell-hunt-armory-to-penguins/ Looks like we will either permanently have another sheet of ice or lose one forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 Couple of musings... I guess the plan to build a garage under the ice sheet never materialized. Parking is still a major problem. I really have no idea why the pens would want to buy a rink that is landlocked with zero parking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaaahockey Posted June 22, 2023 Author Share Posted June 22, 2023 23 minutes ago, Wes said: Couple of musings... I guess the plan to build a garage under the ice sheet never materialized. Parking is still a major problem. I really have no idea why the pens would want to buy a rink that is landlocked with zero parking. Yes I figured the parking would ward a lot of people off. Anyone know how much it is actually being utilized? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted June 22, 2023 Share Posted June 22, 2023 It looks like an EXCELLENT venue from the photo in the link above. Just a shame you can't park there. It would be a big turn off to me if I was bringing mites/squirts and then had to park blocks away. Not to mention I wouldn't feel super safe walking multiple blocks in that neighborhood at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zarg Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 Hope the Pens and their Fenway Sports overlords find a way to keep this rink up and running past this season. More rinks in the area are always a good thing for the growth of the game overall in the region. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadday4hockey Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 Couple of items here. I think the same architect's rendering was used from the get-go and it looks nothing like what it did in reality. There's a reason myself and many others played street hockey on any available surface we could. It just wasn't in our parent's budgetary means so the question is this, wyhat happens when the free stuff runs out? Unfortunately, despite programs such as this the reality is that ice hockey is and will be an affluent sport. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted June 23, 2023 Share Posted June 23, 2023 (edited) To me this was a doomed concept from the start, no matter who was running it. If there's no parking and it's in the middle of an old, landlocked neighborhood, it's just not going to work out. I recall looking this up on the map years back when the topic was first brought up and obviously you're thinking where are you going to park 50 cars?? The pens would have been better off building a normal structure and putting up a new rink somewhere with parking than this questionable concept. on the other hand, it wouldn't suprise me if the pens got some financial government backing to do this since the pens over the last 20 years have lots of hooks into local politics (via one party). otherwise there's no reason to spend money. Edited June 23, 2023 by Wes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaaahockey Posted June 24, 2023 Author Share Posted June 24, 2023 2 hours ago, Wes said: landlocked neighborhood Your overall point is well taken but I don't think anyone is going to sail in and drop anchors to play hockey in a harbor either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted June 24, 2023 Share Posted June 24, 2023 (edited) 11 hours ago, aaaahockey said: Your overall point is well taken but I don't think anyone is going to sail in and drop anchors to play hockey in a harbor either. @aaaahockey maybe I'm a bit sleepy this AM. What exactly do you mean? I've been to pretty much every rink in western PA/WV/OH area, and many in OH Cleveland/Akron area as well as other rinks on the east coast, and none are like Hunt armory in terms of their location and total lack of parking. Unless I live really close to HA, there's little chance I would ever want to go there. I would drive an extra 10-15 min and go to Harmarville Alpha (or other rinks) for lessons, hockey, etc. because at least I can park right next to those buildings, and they're all in pretty safe areas. Edited June 24, 2023 by Wes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaaahockey Posted June 24, 2023 Author Share Posted June 24, 2023 8 minutes ago, Wes said: @aaaahockey maybe I'm a bit sleepy this AM. What exactly do you mean? I've been to pretty much every rink in western PA/WV/OH area, and many in OH Cleveland/Akron area as well as other rinks on the east coast, and none are like Hunt armory in terms of their location and total lack of parking. Unless I live really close to HA, there's little chance I would ever want to go there. I would drive an extra 10-15 min and go to Harmarville Alpha (or other rinks) for lessons, hockey, etc. because at least I can park right next to those buildings, and they're all in pretty safe areas. I was cracking a joke about "landlocked" which means the lack of access to the ocean. The parking is an issue with equipment. The neighborhood isn't unsafe at all as far as I'm concerned. I'd be more worried in New Kensington 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted June 24, 2023 Share Posted June 24, 2023 Gotcha- I think I was sleepy 🙂 I don't want any rink to close, just wish HA had better access. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danner27 Posted June 25, 2023 Share Posted June 25, 2023 (edited) Hope this helps - a very wealthy, politically connected family started this project many many years ago. It was suppose to be a redevelopment of a major portion of the area along with the armory (some of it did happen) Said family owned properties around the area (the block were the Apple Store has been was one of the properties). What is now the redeveloped bakery square was another property that was apart of this master plan. It was suppose to be like the waterfront redevelopment in homestead. The family sold these properties to the city at an inflated premium then bailed on the city & county lol. I know the state along with upmc were involved at one point. The county urged the city to flip the properties to try and recoup some of the loss, eventually it was all split up between different investors. I don’t know who owns what these days. The same family that started the above mentioned project was one the investors in the failed redevelopment of those east liberty hud townhouse projects but this failed due to the federal government not coming through with cash as was promised. —end of facts—start of speculation— I have no idea how the pens eventually got involved. just guessing - take some heat off the city/county getting fleased in return for a Tax shelter? After all burkle & Mario owed the state for the big favor ex governor rendell pulled off. I asummed burkle’s big donation to the states dnc would have been enough 😂😂😂 I really don’t know. Look how long the property were Mellon arena was stayed a dirt pile. thats the history I know on the project, good luck going down a rabbit hole trying to figure out how it eventually became what it is now. It would be great if someone does really know. It’s somewhat obvious due to the original facts why this ice rink was half ass planned. Edited June 25, 2023 by Danner27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted June 25, 2023 Share Posted June 25, 2023 (edited) @Danner27 that makes sense from the political standpoint, since it is well known that the same party that runs the city also is/was loved by the Pens owners as well as DM. I was thinking along the lines that at one point in the past that the pens might start acquiring nearby houses/properties in order to build parking or a garage at some point. Now with that group of pens personnel & owners all gone, and the team being owned by out-of-staters with little to zero a$$ kissing needed, it makes sense that they aren't as interested in the property. Edited June 25, 2023 by Wes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadday4hockey Posted June 25, 2023 Share Posted June 25, 2023 4 hours ago, Wes said: it makes sense that they aren't as interested in the property. Am I missing something here? Doesn't the recent article imply that they are very interested? At least invested enough to consider buying it. The tax shelter thing seems about right though. There ain't no place other than DC and NYC, that's seen more quid pro quo over the years than Allegheny County/City of Pittsburgh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wes Posted June 26, 2023 Share Posted June 26, 2023 12 hours ago, sadday4hockey said: Am I missing something here? The surrounding properties that @Danner27 referenced. Seems like they're trying to take the HA rink for pennies on the dollar... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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