New day: This time arena construction can revive the Hill
It was all smiles, handshakes and signatures at Freedom Corner on Tuesday. After a difficult gestation, a long-awaited community benefits agreement between the Pittsburgh Penguins, residents of the Hill District and Pittsburgh's political leadership finally fell into place.
The accord's benefits are a byproduct of construction of Pittsburgh's new $290 million arena. At the signing ceremony, One Hill Neighborhood Coalition Chairman Carl Redwood called the agreement a "milestone," but took pains to say it represented the beginning of a fruitful partnership -- not the finale. We couldn't agree more.
The CBA ensures that $2 million, half of it coming from the Penguins, will be used to develop a neighborhood grocery, a community master plan and a job resource center. Hill residents will even get to apply for arena-related work a week before everyone else.
To old-timers in the crowd, the fact that Penguins executives and political leaders would be parties to the CBA must have seemed surreal. When the Civic Arena went up more than four decades ago, there was no consultation with the community about its economic impact on the Hill District.
Back in the 1950s when the bulldozers moved in, there was no such thing as a CBA. Population displacement and the death of the Hill's once-thriving commercial district were seen as part of the cost of progress.
Fast forward to last year. The Penguins, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and One Hill were not on the same page about what a CBA should include, and the chances of completing one at times seemed remote.
What a difference a year makes. The mayor, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Penguins President David Morehouse have committed themselves to using the arena construction as a spark that could develop the entire Hill.
While $2 million is a relatively small sum to kick off such an enormous endeavor, it is better understood as a down payment on a brighter future for the community. If people of good will are able to develop a master plan for the Hill District, more investment -- and a better day -- will surely come.
The accord's benefits are a byproduct of construction of Pittsburgh's new $290 million arena. At the signing ceremony, One Hill Neighborhood Coalition Chairman Carl Redwood called the agreement a "milestone," but took pains to say it represented the beginning of a fruitful partnership -- not the finale. We couldn't agree more.
The CBA ensures that $2 million, half of it coming from the Penguins, will be used to develop a neighborhood grocery, a community master plan and a job resource center. Hill residents will even get to apply for arena-related work a week before everyone else.
To old-timers in the crowd, the fact that Penguins executives and political leaders would be parties to the CBA must have seemed surreal. When the Civic Arena went up more than four decades ago, there was no consultation with the community about its economic impact on the Hill District.
Back in the 1950s when the bulldozers moved in, there was no such thing as a CBA. Population displacement and the death of the Hill's once-thriving commercial district were seen as part of the cost of progress.
Fast forward to last year. The Penguins, Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and One Hill were not on the same page about what a CBA should include, and the chances of completing one at times seemed remote.
What a difference a year makes. The mayor, Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and Penguins President David Morehouse have committed themselves to using the arena construction as a spark that could develop the entire Hill.
While $2 million is a relatively small sum to kick off such an enormous endeavor, it is better understood as a down payment on a brighter future for the community. If people of good will are able to develop a master plan for the Hill District, more investment -- and a better day -- will surely come.