Steelers Seating Settlement

The team has argued that a $30 million bill to add 3,000 seats to the field should be covered by the authority, while the authority has claimed the team should foot the cost of upgrading the stadium.

But negotiations have apparently taken a turn, with Mark Hart, the Steelers’ director of strategic planning and development, telling the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the two sides plan to “engage in discussions about a possible resolution to our dispute.”

“Quite honestly, if we can reach something that’s agreeable to all parties in the next couple of weeks we might have a shot at getting something done [in terms of adding seats] for 2014,” he added.

The Steelers filed suit last fall after a deal to fund the expansion through ticket and parking fees fell through.

According to court documents obtained by the paper, the team contended in the suit that the SEA was responsible for covering two-thirds of the cost of the addition according to their lease agreement, while the authority said the Steelers needed to prove the upgrade was “reasonably necessary” to help the team maintain its position in the league and prevent the stadium from becoming outdated in comparison to other NFL stadiums.

If the team and the authority can’t reach a settlement, a trial has been set for December, the Post-Gazette noted.