Penguins to put up outdoor ice rink at SouthSide Works
Share with others:
An outdoor ice rink the Penguins built outside Heinz Field for the Winter Classic last season will be returning this fall with a change of venue.
The Penguins are teaming with the Soffer Organization and the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority to build the rink at the SouthSide Works complex on the South Side.
"It was so popular when we had it for 10 days last year that we decided we would try to make it a permanent fixture in Pittsburgh," Penguins CEO David Morehouse said Thursday.
The National Hockey League-size rink will be built in a parking lot at the corner of Sidney (where else?) and South 26th streets. It will be open from Nov. 18 to Jan. 8. The rink will be available for public skates and youth and high school hockey games.
Hours will be from 7 a.m. to midnight, although they might be shortened on school days.
Mr. Morehouse said the Penguins see the rink as "kind of a legacy of the Winter Classic," which was played at Heinz Field on New Year's Day.
The team wanted to keep the rink up for a longer period of time this year but couldn't do that on the North Shore because of Steelers football games. After searching around, it settled on the South Side.
"SouthSide Works is a great venue for it, especially around the holidays. There's plenty of parking, great views of the city, and all the shops," Mr. Morehouse said.
Public skating charges will be $7 for adults and $6 for seniors and youth. Skate rentals will be $3. The Penguins will pay for the construction of the rink and Soffer and the URA are providing the site. Some of the team's corporate sponsors also are involved.
Construction is expected to start about Oct. 21. The city planning commission will be briefed on the project next week.
First Published September 30, 2011 12:00 am
