The Hill District should get a grocery store, a community center and jobs as part of the new arena deal, but not a development fund to spend as residents see fit, said Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl yesterday.

His comments during and after the taping of "KD/PG Sunday Edition" mirrored the position Penguins' representatives outlined Tuesday, after some 50 Hill residents and advocates packed a city planning commission hearing on the arena.

Then, the One Hill Community Benefit Coalition demanded the store, center, parkland, preference for arena jobs, a community-wide master plan and development funds.

"I think where we disagree is that some money, some sort of fund, will be given to an organization that will be created in the Hill District," Mr. Ravenstahl said.

"There's a lot of anger as a result of what happened with the Civic Arena," he said, referring to the uprooting of families and businesses that began in the 1950s. "I agree there is an obligation for us as a city, as a county, as the Penguins" to make the new $290 million arena benefit the community.

He was optimistic about a grocery store, noting that Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle made his billions of dollars largely in the supermarket industry. Mr. Burkle "has connections and the experience" to get a deal done, the mayor said.

That's nice news, said Carl Redwood of the One Hill coalition, but he has nothing in writing from the city, Allegheny County and Penguins. He said his coalition needs written commitments from all three within a week so it can digest them before Jan. 14, when the planning commission hearing is to reconvene and a vote on the arena master plan may occur.

Otherwise, One Hill will try to postpone that vote.

He said that in light of the partial public financing of the arena, and the granting of arena and parking revenue to the Penguins, there should be room for a development fund.

"There's no problem giving a billionaire company money," he said. "But they have a problem with giving money to the community."

The community needs a fund it controls to ensure the fulfillment of "planks" of its improvement plan, said Marimba Milliones, chair of the Hill Community Development Corp.

"It is estimated that all planks cost approximately $2.5 million per year for thirty years," she wrote in an e-mail response to questions. "These funds will go toward improving both people and real estate, such as funding for social programs, education, revitalizing the New Granada Theater, upgrading housing stock, masterplanning and more.

"Without the development fund, there is no [agreement], because the development fund pays for the planks," she wrote.

In other matters, Mr. Ravenstahl predicted that the planning commission would approve the North Shore casino master plan Jan. 14, despite some community concerns about its huge garage.

"I think when they look at the plan and consider all of the things that they as commission members need to consider, that they'll come to the conclusion that I have, and that's that the master plan should be accepted," he said.