A proposed entertainment district near Heinz Field on the North Shore would feature an open air concert venue with a glass top, restaurants and shops, and an outdoor "performance plaza."

		Map: North Shore development

The new details were included in a handout distributed at the International Council of Shopping Centers show in Las Vegas this week by the Cordish Co., the entertainment and retail developer involved in the redevelopment of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore.

Cordish is working with the Steelers and Continental Real Estate Cos. to develop the entertainment complex, dubbed North Shore Live! The company, which also developed similar districts in Louisville, Kansas City and other cities, is teaming with Continental to buy and lease property between Heinz Field and PNC Park for the project.

The proposed concert venue, long part of the Steelers vision for land adjacent to Heinz Field, would be open air with a glass roof to protect patrons from the elements.

"Having a roof is such an advantage. It offers weather protection but is open at the sides. It allows you to never have to cancel an event," said Reed Cordish, a Cordish Co. vice president. "That's an element we want to bring to North Shore Live!"

The concert area would be surrounded by restaurants, clubs and shops, with entrances facing in so that patrons would have access to them from the event space. During colder months, smaller concerts and other entertainment would move inside, to clubs and restaurants, which would be open year-round.

"What this offers the North Shore is the possibility of being a yearlong venue," Continental Chairman Frank Kass said earlier this week in Las Vegas.

Mr. Cordish said the glass roof has become one of the trademarks of Live! districts developed by his firm.

"Our Live! districts change very much from location to location," he said. "However, one thing we're sold on and is a staple now is the glass roof structure. It gives us some flexibility and allows us to activate the district to its fullest."

Fourth Street Live! in Louisville also has a concert area covered by a glass roof. From that area, patrons have access to bars, restaurants and shops, including Hard Rock Cafe, T.G.I. Friday's and Borders bookstore.

The North Shore project also would feature an outdoor "performance plaza" area between the Live! district and Heinz Field to be used for smaller concerts and entertainment, as a gathering spot, and for Steeler-related activities.

While renderings made available in Las Vegas showed four large buildings surrounding the open air concert plaza, Mr. Cordish said the design is not written in stone.

"The plans we had out there were truly conceptual plans," he said. "They will change 100 times. It was to give people an idea."

The Steelers have wanted to build a 5,600-seat outdoor amphitheater at the site for several years but have been repeatedly delayed trying to negotiate a deal with a promoter and finalizing the economics of the project. At one time they also had plans for an indoor nightclub.

Mr. Cordish did not know how many people the open air North Shore Live! concert area would hold. Venues in other cities have accommodated more than 5,600 people, however. He would not discuss prospective retail or restaurant tenants, saying it was too early for that.

But he added Cordish tries to find restaurants, shops and entertainment unique to the market.

In Louisville, some Fourth Street Live! offerings such as Borders, Hard Rock Cafe, T.G.I. Friday's, Lucky Strike bowling lanes, Red Star tavern, and Saddle Ridge rock-n-country saloon already have a presence in the Pittsburgh area.

"We very rarely replicate tenants from project to project. Fourth Street Live! is 100 percent different than Power Plant Live! (in Baltimore)," he said. "In Pittsburgh, North Shore Live! will be markedly different than any other one we've done."

Mr. Cordish said his firm was still in the process of "working through final documents" with the Steelers and the city Stadium Authority on the project but added the company hopes to get started "in the not too distant future."

A North Shore concert venue potentially could compete with the Chevrolet Amphitheater at Station Square. However, that could change if Station Square owner Forest City Enterprises wins the state license for the Pittsburgh slot machine casino.

The amphitheater would be done away with to make way for a $512 million Harrah's casino, and Forest City has no plans to relocate the tent-like structure on Station Square property.