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Arena site work is running late
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Water, in one form or another, has caused a delay in the efforts to transform the former Civic Arena site into a parking lot.
The 800-space temporary lot was supposed to be finished by the end of July, but most likely will not be ready for another month, Doug Straley, project executive for the city-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority, said Wednesday.
Mike Barnard, project manager for Oxford Development Co., which is representing the SEA, said the project fell behind schedule in part because of heavy rains in July that hampered site grading.
Noralco Corp., the contractor hired to do the work, also was delayed by the discovery of what appeared to be an old reflecting pool at the site. It apparently was part of the arena landscaping at one time.
Before the grading work could continue, the concrete remnants of the pool had to be removed.
Mr. Straley said crews are now working two shifts each day in an effort to finish the parking lot by the end of August.
"If we can do better, we'll do better," he said.
The 800-space lot is expected to be a temporary one, giving way to development as it takes place on the 28-acre publicly owned site, which includes the arena property and other parcels. The Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team won development rights to the land as part of the 2007 deal to build the Consol Energy Center.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Penguins will have exactly two years to begin development once the parking lot opens.
First Published August 9, 2012 12:00 am
