Penguins Arena Delay

The Pittsburgh Penguins NHL team will have to wait a bit longer to move into its proposed $290 million arena. Groundbreaking planned for fall has been pushed back because the design process isn’t far enough along yet.

Officials with the Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority said there are too many details to be worked out before construction can get under way.

"We’re just now sitting down with the architects and trying to work out a realistic plan for the design of the building," SPEA Executive Director Mary Conturo told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "The planning and design has to be done before we break ground."

The groundbreaking was planned for this September with a goal of moving the NHL hockey team into its new home in early 2009. That plan will now be delayed about a year while city and county officials complete the necessary steps such as an environmental impact report, traffic study, public comment periods and cost analysis.

Penguins spokesman Tom McMillan said the delay isn’t necessarily bad news.

"There’s an obligation to the community here to do this the right way," he told the Tribune-Review. "This is the necessary part of the process. You can’t get ahead of yourself. If you’re not ready, then you don’t do it just to hit a deadline."

Gov. Ed Rendell announced March 13th that city, county and state officials had reached an agreement with the team to finance a new arena. The deal will keep the Penguins in the city for the next 30 years.