Construction Starts On Heinz Field Entertainment Facility

PITTSBURGH (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Construction has finally begun on the long-planned, $12 million entertainment complex next to Heinz Field.

The new indoor/outdoor venue will accommodate as many as 2,500 for indoor general admission concerts and up to 5,000 for outdoor events. Smaller, indoor shows will have the option of being configured with seating for patrons.

The Steeler organization and their partners Continental Real Estate, have said that they hope to stage as many as 100 events year-round at the new venue. As of yet, no official projected opening date has been announced, but The Steelers and Continental hope to have the outdoor component opened for the start of the football season in September and then indoor part opened by late October, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

The new venue will be booked by PromoWest Productions and gigs by The Robert Cray Band, Henry Rollins and Blue October are already on the books.

The Steelers and Continental will also be seeking a naming-rights partner for the venue and hope to announce a deal within several weeks, the Post-Gazette said.

The project has been long in the making with the Steelers first exploring the idea of a 5,600-seat amphitheater in 2001. However, trouble striking a deal with AEG and Baltimore-based developer Cordish, along with challenging financial conditions led to delays in the project. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers