Civic Arena (Pittsburgh)

Did You Know?

• The arena's first roof opening was during a July 4, 1962, Carol Burnett show, to which she exclaimed, 'Ladies and gentlemen ... I present the sky!'
• The arena was used as a filming location for the 1995 film Sudden Death, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.
• On March 13, 2025, ground was broken for Citizens Live at the Wylie, a 4,500-capacity venue expected to open in mid 2026 on the site.

Construction and design

The arena was completed in 1961 at a cost of $22 million, funded by public and private money including grants from Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh, and Edgar J. Kaufmann. Its design incorporated 2,950 tons of stainless steel from Pittsburgh. The roof, supported by a 260-foot arch, was free of internal support and had a diameter of 415 feet. Six of its eight sections could fold underneath two in 2½ minutes, making it the world's first major indoor sports stadium with a retractable roof.

The moving sections were supported by 42 trucks mounted on 78 wheels, with gear motors and a 480-volt AC motor drive designed by Heyl & Patterson Inc. To clear the site, the city used eminent domain to displace 8,000 residents and 400 businesses from the lower Hill District, with demolition beginning in 1955 and finishing by 1960. A steel strike on July 21, 1959, delayed the opening. Capacity was increased through additions between 1972 and 1991.

History and events

The arena's first event was the Ice Capades on September 17, 1961. It hosted globally televised figure skating three times: the 1983 United States Figure Skating Championships, and the 1994 and 2004 editions of Skate America. Cassius Clay fought Charlie Powell at the arena on January 24, 1963, before a global television audience. Professional wrestling events included WWF SummerSlam in 1995, WWF King of the Ring in 1998, WWF Unforgiven in 2001, WWE No Way Out in 2005, WWE Armageddon in 2007, and WWE Bragging Rights in 2009. The final WWE event was a Monday Night Raw episode on May 10, 2010.

Naming

Before opening, the under-construction building was officially known as the Civic Auditorium Amphitheater. By 1961, Pittsburgh sign makers adopted the shorter name Civic Arena, though it was sometimes referred to as the Civic Auditorium for a few years after opening. The Pittsburgh Dome was a popular early name choice but was not adopted. In April 1988, city Councilman Mark Pollock proposed renaming it the Richard S. Caliguiri Arena after the mayor, who died a month later; the name did not take.

In 1992, Allegheny County Commissioner Pete Flaherty suggested renaming it The Igloo for marketing potential, but the Civic Arena name remained. In 1997, the Penguins sold naming rights to Allegheny Energy for $5 million, but the deal fell through because the Penguins did not own the building or its naming rights. In 1999, after Mario Lemieux bought the Penguins out of bankruptcy, naming rights were sold to Mellon Financial for $18 million, and the arena was renamed Mellon Arena. The name expired on August 1, 2010, and the closed building became the Civic Arena again.

Replacement, debate, and demolition

At its closing in 2010, the Civic Arena was the oldest and third-smallest arena in the NHL by official capacity. The Penguins agreed to fund a new home arena in March 2007, and PPG Paints Arena was built across the street, opening October 7, 2010. A March 2007 agreement stated the Civic Arena would be demolished after the new arena's completion in July 2010. A historic assessment found the arena eligible for the National Register of Historic Places due to its retractable dome.

On September 16, 2010, the Allegheny County Sports and Exhibition Authority voted unanimously to demolish it, with the board chairman saying the decision would not be final unless a better use was proposed. During summer 2010, asbestos was removed, and a demolition contract was awarded in February 2011. Proponents for retaining the building opposed the decision in court and sought landmark status. Demolition took place between September 2011 and March 2012.