The Pittsburgh Pirates are upgrading 15-year-old
PNC Park by developing more public hangouts for general ticket holders.
The multimillion-dollar project, designed by Populous and paid for by the Pirates, includes two new outdoor bars and a reconfiguration of a ticketed space in left field tied to a building that was an Outback Steakhouse when the ballpark opened in 2001.
In addition, the Pirates and their architect have created a new marketing center to serve as a pregame meeting space for companies that prefer to conduct business before heading to their seats to watch the ballgame, team officials said.
The larger of the two new bars is situated at the back of the upper deck behind home plate. The bar itself is 28 feet long and the space in general can accommodate 50 to 75 people. It replaces a former first aid station and some food and merchandise stands.
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One new bar at PNC Park, shown in a rendering, will bring mixed drinks to the upper deck.
Photo by: COURTESY OF THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES
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There are no views to the game, but fans will get a great view of the city skyline and the riverfront, and they can stay connected to the game by watching it on televisions behind the bar, Pirates President
Frank Coonelly said.
The full-service bar, for the first time, will allow fans in the upper deck to buy a glass of wine or a mixed drink. State liquor laws restrict the serving of those alcoholic beverages to controlled areas at the park.
The second bar is more of a standing-room space at the bottom of the left-field rotunda underneath an escalator taking fans to the upper levels. It used to be a large storage closet. Unlike the bar upstairs, fans can watch the game from the front edge of the rotunda bar.
It connects to a left-field landing next door that’s already become a popular hangout, Coonelly said. The downstairs bar will focus on craft beers and feature a large media wall made up of nine televisions forming a single image of the game.
The Rivertowne Hall of Fame Club, situated midlevel in left field behind 1,400 reserved bleacher seats, is the former Outback. It was first renovated about seven years ago into a club-like experience catering to all fans.
The Outback brand went away, but a 10-foot gap remained between the restaurant and the bleachers, and it was “screaming” to be rebuilt to connect those structures with drink rails in the middle for a better experience, Coonelly said.
The restaurant’s old windows, which were permanently shut, are being replaced with glass doors that, when open, will allow fans eating and drinking inside that space to hear the crack of the bat and enjoy the smells of the ballpark.
Facing home plate, to the left of the bleachers, is a new group space perched on a landing that can fit 25 to 30 people. As of last week, group ticket prices had not been determined, team spokesman Brian Warecki said. Reserved bleachers are dynamically priced and start at $15 for most games.
The retrofits are in response to fan surveys and focus groups conducted by the Pirates and Populous asking for more communal spaces such as the Budweiser Bowtie Bar built in right field three years ago, Coonelly said.
> TOWER TOURS: Legends Hospitality recently signed a 10-year deal to run a new observatory at the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles, one of the tallest buildings west of the Mississippi River.
The upgrades include the new observation deck under construction between the 69th and 70th floors, said Mike Tomon, Legends’ president of North American sports and events. The new addition opens this summer, Tomon said.
Singapore-based Overseas Union Enterprise paid $370 million for the property in 2013, according to local reports. The 72-story building opened in 1989.
The deal is Legends’ second piece of business in the world of tourist attractions. The firm operates the new observatory opening this spring as part of One World Trade Center in New York City.
Don Muret can be reached at dmuret@sportsbusinessjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @breakground.
