• Loading stock data...
Friday, November 22, 2024

Small-Market Pirates Join MLB Development Push With Planned Plaza

  • Small-market MLB team makes move to improve ballpark area.
  • Project to feature range of uses, residential component.
Barker Nestor and Chase Merritt

One of MLB’s allegedly stingiest owners is making a big move to improve the area surrounding his team’s ballpark.

Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting is advancing on a deal with HiLife Hospitality to build a 30,000-square-foot plaza across the street from PNC Park, a venue on the city’s North Shore perennially ranked as one of the league’s most picturesque ballparks.

The plaza is slated to include a pair of stages, a large LED screen, and a covered beer garden and food stand, along with an adjacent building with ground-floor restaurants, an experiential entertainment venue, and upper-floor residential units.

The HiLife partnership was initially announced early this year, and recent submissions to the Pittsburgh Stadium Authority and the city’s planning commission point toward a projected opening in early 2025.

Cost estimates and funding sources have yet to be finalized. This project, however, adds to a separate, $11 million worth of improvements inside PNC Park for 2023 and a new videoboard.

The plaza effort mirrors a fast-growing wave of development projects adjacent to MLB ballparks, one inspired in part by the example of the Atlanta Braves, as well as the Chicago Cubs’ programming at Gallagher Way outside Wrigley Field. Teams more recently following the development push include the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles.

The Pittsburgh plans arrive as the Pirates this year have MLB’s third-smallest payroll at $76.3 million, and Nutting has faced years of criticism as the team has no playoff appearances since 2015 and hasn’t joined a rising MLB trend of small-market success.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Rays $1.3B Ballpark Plans Stalled by Bond Delays, Hurricane Fallout

St. Petersburg officials vote to delay bonds for a new ballpark.
Nov 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; McLaren F1 Team driver Oscar Piastri of Australia (81) during free practice at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

F1 Welcomes Second Chapter of Polarizing Las Vegas Grand Prix

Both championship battles have yet to be clinched entering the Las Vegas race, which was not the case last year.

Old Rivals, New Stakes: Notre Dame and Army to Clash in Yankee..

The two schools are playing for the first time since 2016.

Roki Sasaki Pursuit Could Lead to Chaos in 2025 International Class

Big league clubs may redirect bonus pool money to chase the Japanese phenom.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

What’s Next for Hapless Jets?

0:00

Featured Today

Nov 18, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Williams Racing driver Logan Sargeant of the United States (2) during the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

F1 Grand Prix Upended Vegas Last Year. Stakes Are High for Its..

Stakes are high as F1 gears up for a successful second act.
Classic Football Shirts New York Pop-Up
November 18, 2024

Vintage Soccer Jerseys Have Found a Sweet Spot in the Lucrative U.S...

The money-making shirts are at the prime intersection of memorabilia and fashion.
Nov 13, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) reacts after fouling Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (not pictured) during the second half at Madison Square Garden.
opinion
November 16, 2024

NBA Ratings Rorschach Test: Buy the Dip

Was it the election? Too many threes? Lack of storylines?
November 15, 2024

Executive Decision: When Richard Nixon Named a College Football Champion

In 1969, the 37th president unilaterally named the winner of the season.
Tampa Bay Rays

Rays Tampa Future in Doubt as County Commission Delays Bond Vote

The planned $1.3 billion ballpark now falls into further question.
November 19, 2024

RFK Stadium Bill Advances Out of Senate Committee

Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. are potential future homes for the Commanders.
November 19, 2024

Royals Ballpark Plans Expand to Kansas Amid Unsettled TV Future

Deals could be struck in the coming weeks on both the club’s local media rights and a future stadium.
Sponsored

How UBS Crafts Impactful Partnerships Across Sports, Arts, and Culture

As UBS continues to expand its impressive array of sports and entertainment partnerships, the company solidifies its position as a leader in wealth management.
Roof of AT&T Stadium
November 19, 2024

Even the Cowboys’ Stadium Is Falling Apart

“The wind got in there and exacerbated the looseness,” Jerry Jones said.
Damage from Hurricane Milton to Tropicana Field
November 18, 2024

Rays’ $1.3B Ballpark Hangs in the Balance During County Bond Vote

Another county delay in issuing bonds for stadium construction could reopen relocation questions.
November 14, 2024

Rays to Call Yankee Territory ‘Home’ for 2025 Due to Tropicana Repairs

Extensive damage from Hurricane Milton to Tropicana Field forces the unusual solution.
November 12, 2024

Bears Revisiting Another Lakefront Location for New Stadium

The site is about 2.5 miles south of Soldier Field.