Sports authority spends $10.85 million for Pens’ new arena site
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority has approved spending $10.85 million to buy eight of 10 properties it wants for the site of a new hockey arena. Authority officials were trying to finalize a sales agreement Friday with the owner of the ninth property, but said they may need to use eminent domain to seize the 10th property, which belongs to the Laborers District Council of Western Pennsylvania.
The group is not opposed to selling its property, but eminent domain may be used because the labor council may not get approvals to sell the property by the time the authority wants to close on the deal, said Mary Conturo, executive director of the authority.
So far, top bidder Sam Fingold, a Hartford real estate developer, has yet to close on a deal to buy the team. Fingold has said he may move the team to Kansas City, unless a new arena is built to replace 45-year-old Mellon Arena, the oldest and smallest building in the National Hockey League.