Steelers Shed Breaks Huddle

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ plans for an amphitheatre beside Heinz Field may have moved slower than a newly opened bottle of ketchup, but the team has finally received the go-ahead to break ground on the project.

Plans for the development include a glass-covered amphitheatre that could host crowds of up to 5,000 during outdoor shows and 2,500 during indoor concerts, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

The project, nearly 10 years in the making, was recently granted about $10 million in tax credits from the local Sports and Exhibition Authority. Further funds toward the shed’s $12 million price tag are expected to come from taxpayers and a future naming rights deal, officials told the paper.

“The economy has definitely had on impact on things like sponsorship, but when you have the right brand and you’ve got a good venue … there are a lot of candidates out there,” Steelers business director Mark Hart said. “The North Shore is a happening place. It’s a great destination and it will continue to grow as a destination.”

Modeled after the “intimate, scalable” Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio, the venue will also feature the same operator – PromoWest Productions – the paper said.

The Steelers and development partner Continental Real Estate reportedly plan to see the venue operable by fall.