Civic Arena, Mellon Arena, The Igloo and Fate

This issue has been in the news for a while – the fate of the Igloo in Pittsburgh.

Everyone is trying to get their two cents in …. some want to tear it down and recreate the street plan as it was before the arena was there.  Some want to turn it into housing and shops. Some want to turn it into a skating park, etc, etc.

Has anyone considered asking the people of the Hill District what they want???

Consider this: when the arena was built – people were kicked out of their houses, whether they wanted to sell/move or not.  Some of those people were not given options to go to and some were actually left homeless.  Do you think maybe we OWE these people the right to make  the decision on the arena’s fate so that they may consider their own fate with their own decision?  Maybe it shouldn’t be about what the city wants or for the benefit of the AES.

Think about this: maybe since the land was technically stolen or taken from those that originally lived there (not to mention killing off the BEST jazz area that *ever* existed), maybe we should consider “giving” that area back to the Hill District residents to do with as they please, develop as they wish, maybe even with an apology from the city for originally doing what they did to get it where it is now.

If the city develops that land, or tears down the arena I can almost guarantee the use of that area or living in that are will be an unobtainable goal for most of that people in the Hill District – or even some of us outside that area that are considered “well off”.

If that land isn’t going back to the people of the Hill District … at least give them the right to decide it’s fate.  It’s their time – it should be their decision.

… or or we again just going to forget the forgotten?

-SWB

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