Pittsburgh Penguins’ Hunt Armory Ice Rink Inspired by Competition-Winning Concept from Perkins Eastman

Pittsburgh, PA — It’s been six years since the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of Pittsburgh selected Perkins Eastman and the Mosites Company’s concept to place a recreational ice rink within the historic Hunt Armory in the urban neighborhood of Shadyside. This week that concept is finally beginning to take shape. Opening the Friday after Thanksgiving, the new seasonal rink is the only publicly-available indoor ice rink within city limits. And if all goes well, the rink may only be the temporary first phase of a plan to adaptively reuse the structure into a year-round community amenity that facilitates new and expanded hockey programs for local schools, universities, and city leagues.

In the winning concept, highlighted here, Perkins Eastman and the Mosites Company propose to preserve the existing building while inserting a second story “super floor” that supports an NHL regulation sized ice rink, a studio ice rink, and spectator seating, along with locker rooms, community classrooms, gallery hall, office space, and ground-level parking.

Though this ambitious plan requires substantial capital investment and plenty of collaboration, Perkins Eastman Principal Jeff Young, who led the team that conceived the initial idea, believes Pittsburgh is up to the task. “To be part of the team that’s brought this to fruition with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the URA, for the residents of the City of Pittsburgh is extremely gratifying. This is what great cities accomplish!” says Young in a recent LinkedIn post.

In a promotional video from the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chief Operating Officer Kevin Acklin shares his support:

“It feels like we are building a Field of Dreams…This is going to be a special place where kids from city neighborhoods learn to skate and play ice hockey and build all the intangible life skills that go along with the game.”