A meeting on the design of the Pittsburgh casino produced near rebellion last night, as many North Side residents demanded answers on jobs, housing, social impact, even the mayor's whereabouts -- anything but the stated topic.

More than 150 people packed into Pittsburgh Project facilities on the North Side for the meeting, arranged by Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's office, but few of them wanted to discuss the casino's riverfront look or the massive parking garage behind it.

Minutes into the meeting, people began shouting questions and concerns about jobs, community benefits from the casino, or other issues. Others complained about being shut out of the process in the planning for the slots parlor, to be built just west of the Carnegie Science Center.

"It's already planned and said and done and wrapped up. So what do they want me to say now? What can I say?" asked Marcella Parham, a North Side resident who stormed out of the meeting. "It's already here and I had nothing to say from the beginning."

Ms. Parham left the meeting only a few minutes after it began, after complaining about how the lack of jobs and opportunities had spawned violence and death for many young people on the North Side.

"I'm tired of seeing my young brothers and sisters being killed in these streets and they can call a meeting because of the casino. That's more important? No."

At one point organizers threatened to end the meeting abruptly unless those attending agreed to settle down and stick to questions and concerns about the casino design.

It wasn't until Regina Bryant, president of Unite Here, a local labor organization, took the microphone and urged the crowd to calm down that the casino's architects were able to go forward with their presentation.

"Can we agree to start over again?" she asked.

Some people also wanted to know why Mr. Ravenstahl, a North Side resident, didn't attend. Near the end of the 90-minute session, some people broke into the chant, "Where is the mayor? Where is the mayor? Where is the mayor?"

Mr. Ravenstahl was in Boston on a business trip.

Khari Mosley, part of a group seeking to negotiate a community benefits agreement with casino developer Don Barden for North Side residents, said he wasn't surprised by the reaction last night. He said his group has visited about 3,000 residences on the North Side and found a huge interest in jobs, youth and senior programs, and how violence has affected the community.

"Design is definitely not an issue that's top on the priority list for the everyday North Side resident. It's the social issues that are most important," he said.

Mr. Mosley said it was disappointing that the mayor did not attend. He said he and members of Northside United hope to meet with the mayor next week to arrange a public participation process around the casino.

"We understand the mayor's very busy and has a huge schedule. But it would have been good to see him tonight. We weren't here to cause any trouble or to be rabble-rousers but to let our voices be heard," he said.

One resident, Ronell Guy, said North Siders have been "completely disrespected" so far in the planning for the casino.

"Tell us about jobs. Tell us about how you're going to benefit the schools," she said. "Can we please talk about the things that really, really matter to this community?"

Bob Oltmanns, a spokesman for Mr. Barden who attended the meeting, declined to comment on the issues that were raised, saying officials had been invited to talk about design.

Mr. Barden has pledged $1.5 million over three years to the Northside Leadership Conference to help with North Side business districts. He also has promised another $1.5 million over the same period to help with housing in North Side neighborhoods and to giving North Side residents preference in hiring.

While the agreement exists, Mark Fatla, executive director of the Northside Leadership Conference, said there is still a lot of work to do.

"This is a dramatic new industry and the depth and range of concern is natural. We want to hear that and we want to discuss that and we want to work through it. We just have to get to a conversation," he said.

The Northside Leadership Conference will host a meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday to discuss the casino's social and economic impact. The meeting will be held in the New Hazlett Theater at Allegheny Center.