The rah-rah-sis-boom-bah-ers have been out in force over the last couple days, rushing with the gushing over the supposedly “game-changing venue” that the Pittsburgh Pirates and their project partner, HiLife Hospitality, are planning across from PNC Park.
As the Post-Gazette describes it – a “30,000-square-foot outdoor plaza … at the corner of Mazeroski Way and West General Robinson Street.”
“It includes a 40 ½-foot by nearly 23-foot LED screen, two stages – one directly across the street from PNC Park’s home plate entrance – and a covered beer garden next to a food stand.”
Further reports the P-G:
“Pirates and HiLife officials view the venture not only as an extension of PNC Park for fans on game days but as a way of drawing crowds to the North Shore at other times by offering movies, entertainment, concerts, fitness classes, and other activities in the plaza.
“‘As I’ve said in the past, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and we fully intend to take advantage of that and make this the best it can be for the entire city,’” said noted Pittsburgh real estate magnate Herky Pollock, a partner in HiLife Hospitality.
Oooooh! Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Wow, let’s all sign on in support, right?
But take advantage of whom? As we are wont to say regarding such verbiage surrounding these proposals, “Hold the phone, Mildred; there’s more to what’s also being described as a ‘sky’s-the-limit’ development.’”
And it’s found in the 34th paragraph of the P-G story:
“Cost estimates have yet to be finalized. But [Travis] Williams, [the Pirates’ president], said the ballclub may seek public funding to help pay for some aspects of the development.
“That could include sustainability features or those related to ‘other economic impact drivers’” he said. No final decision has been made on whether the team will pursue public funding, though it is considering ‘multiple different sources,’ Mr. Williams said.
“It’s unclear what sources could be involved, and Mr. Williams wasn’t specific. As owner of PNC Park, the Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority is responsible for helping to maintain it. But the authority is not obligated to fund any of the development surrounding it.”
Well, isn’t all this just so special? Talk about chutzpah.
The professional sports franchise that had PNC Park largely built for it by taxpayers and, along with the Steelers were handed sweetheart development rights between the new baseball and football stadiums, now is floating the possibility of even more public funding?
Sorry but no. Taxpayers must not be abused anew. The tax-paying public has no business having their pockets turned out yet again for the benefit of a well-heeled baron of sport and a prominent developer.
Zip. Nada. Zilch.
The only “public” money that should be in the proposed Pirates’-HiLife Hospitality project is that which the public spends at the facility once it is built.
And if this high-powered partnership tries to leverage public dollars by saying it can’t/won’t be built without them, it should not be built.
Simply put, and for the umpteenth time, taxpayers are not venture capitalists. That the developers of this project even dare to float such a possibility is a slap to taxpayers’ faces.
Should any public agency bow to any such demand, such a one-two slap must not go unchallenged. This continuing prosecution of poor public policies must not be abided.
Colin McNickle is communications and marketing director at the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy (cmcnickle@alleghenyinstitute.org).
