The Steelers and the Pittsburgh-Allegheny County Sports & Exhibition Authority have been at odds over reimbursements for improvements to Heinz Field. On Thursday, they found a rare middle ground.
Via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the SEA’s board approved $4 million in reimbursement to the Steelers for a new scoreboard installed last year and ribbon boards that will be installed for the 2018 season. The Steelers had hoped for at least another $1.2 million, but documentation issues from the contractor apparently limited the Steelers’ recovery to $1.8 million of $3 million spent on the scoreboard.
The Steelers also have proposed a $25 million expansion of the stadium’s Great Hall. No recent discussions have occurred regarding that possibility.
Heinz Field opened in 2001, replacing Three Rivers Stadium, the venue where the Steelers played from 1970 through 2000. Which means that the Steelers already have spent more than half the time in Heinz Field that they spent at Three Rivers Stadium.
Which probably means that, within the next 10 years, the Steelers may start pushing the idea of a rebuilt Three Rivers Stadium that looks the same and feels the same but that has all of the state-of-the-art bells and whistles, from suites to premium seats to technology.
That’s actually not a bad idea. Maybe they’ll start pushing that concept sooner than later.