In 1991, state Sen. Jim Ferlo was arrested trying to stop the demolition of the Syria Mosque in Oakland. Almost two decades later, he has his sights set on saving another iconic piece of Pittsburgh: Mellon Arena.

Mr. Ferlo, D-Highland Park, isn't ready to stand in front of another wrecking ball just yet, but he doesn't think enough has been done to solicit ideas on ways to reuse the 48-year-old structure once the Penguins move to Consol Energy Center in August.

He wants the city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority, the arena's owner, to solicit proposals from developers nationwide on ways to reuse the Igloo.

"In the end it may be an issue of demolition but I don't feel that we have legitimately and seriously exhausted opportunities for investors to look at adaptive reuse," he said.

Mr. Ferlo is a board member for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, which wrote a letter to the SEA earlier this week expressing concern about the speed with which it seemed to be pursuing demolition.

It requested more information from the SEA, including an economic analysis related to the arena's reuse being completed by local preservationists, and said it would withhold comment until it had received all the material.

Mr. Ferlo said the SEA also may be required to engage in an even more elaborate review process if it seeks federal funding for any redevelopment at the arena site, which it is expected to do.

The city and county want $28 million in federal money to restore the street grid between the lower Hill and Downtown, one that was severed when Mellon Arena was built.

Mr. Ferlo said the SEA should use the time to seek ideas on ways to reuse the Igloo rather than pushing forward with a planned demolition.

"I feel like we're rushing to judgment [on demolition] without opening it up for others to comment and propose and provide resources [for a possible reuse]," he said. "I think that would be a good exercise before demolition."

A request for proposals could provide impetus for a "first-day attraction" that would become a tourism draw, Mr. Ferlo said. He likes the idea of creating a biodome similar to one in Montreal that replicates different ecosystems. "It could be a powerful statement especially considering the Connelley project they're doing above it," he said, referring to the plan to turn the Connelley Technical Institute in the Hill into a green technology demonstration center.

In response to Mr. Ferlo's comments, SEA Executive Director Mary Conturo said, "Senator Ferlo has not shared his thoughts with the SEA board. Right now, we do not know the details of what he is thinking, how much it will cost, how much time it will take, who will pay the cost."

Downtown architect Rob Pfaffmann, who leads the Reuse the Igloo group that is trying to save Mellon Arena, welcomed the senator's idea. "That is fantastic. I'm glad to hear that Mr. Ferlo is with us," he said.

Mr. Ferlo said that ideally he would like to see the city or the county issue the request for proposals through their development arms. However, both Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and county Executive Dan Onorato are opposed to saving the Igloo.

Under the 2007 agreement to build the new arena, the Penguins secured development rights over the 28 acres of land that includes the Mellon site. The team is proposing to turn the land into offices, residences, shops and restaurants and restore the street grid between Downtown and the Hill.

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