The new home of the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins just received it’s LEED® Gold certification on the day of substantial completion. This achievement makes Consol Energy Center the first NHL arena in the U.S. with this distinction – something that should make the Penguins and the city of Pittsburgh proud.
Built by construction manager P.J. Dick-Hunt, A Joint Venture and designed by architect Populous, only facilities that are energy efficient, reduce waste and use recycled materials are awarded such a certification.
Designed to ensure there isn’t a bad seat in the house, the 735,000-square-foot Consol Energy Center stands out from the rest with many unique and upscale features. These include a mix of black and gold seats to give that Pittsburgh feel, a four-sided, 70,000-pound scoreboard, 66 suites, 32 loge boxes and a beautiful view of the Golden Triangle visible from the upper concourse.
Other features of the facility include 795 HD IPTVs throughout the facility, 386 toilets and urinals, two levels of concourses to ease congestion, east and west main concourse clubs, Lexus Club on suite level and an upscale club on the upper concourse. Additionally, there is a team store, seating for 18,000 for hockey, 19,100 for basketball and 20,000 for concerts and over 150 scheduled events per year.
Fans will have many opportunities to explore the new facility in the coming months. In August the Penguins are hosting a series of open houses with the first invitation-only grand opening taking place this Friday. Season ticket holders will have their chance to explore on August 14 and 15.
On August 28, the general public will get their first peek. Starting August 12, the box office will offer $5 tickets with proceeds going to the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation. The first game will take place on September 22 with a preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Completed on schedule and within budget, the P.J. Dick-Hunt, A Joint Venture team has a lot to be proud of. Consol Energy Center has set new standards in NHL facility construction and a big thanks goes out to all the dedicated employees and trades who made this project possible.