A Quick Newsflash

For all of you "reconnect the hill types" who wants to obliterate any trace of the Civic Arena, I have a couple things to chew on in your mind.

-The Igloo didn't separate your neighborhood, 579 did. It's a gigantic trench gouged out between downtown and the Hill. Look at a satellite image, it's a much clearer defining line than the big dot just to the east. No matter how many streets they re-build over the arena property, there's still one way into and two ways out of downtown (Centre in and Bigelow and Centre out), because of the aforementioned highway.

-The Igloo didn't prevent Giant Eagle and Kuhn's from either balking at or pulling out of deals to re-build a Super Market in the Hill. Blame Giant Eagle especially, a "neighborhood" company that won't lift a finger to support a hometown neighborhood. Kuhn's at least tried, but ran into financial trouble.

-Whatever development they put there isn't being put there to help residents of the Hill. It's going to be upscale to attract to young business types, not long time Hill residents. Best case scenario is that it will Gentrify the area, and that's not going to help the Hill at all!

-So you want the development? That's fine too. Look at a map, the parking takes up two city blocks! You could easily keep the arena and re-develop the parking lots. Those are MUCH more of an eyesore than the arena.