Swann throws his support behind casino's arena plan
PITTSBURGH — Republican gubernatorial candidate Lynn Swann on Wednesday threw his support behind a gambling company's plan to build a new arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins if the company wins a state gambling license.
Swann called Isle of Capri's offer to build a $290 million arena a "win-win-win situation."
"It's a win for the Penguins because they get a first-rate facility," Swann said. "It's a win for the Hill District, where we're talking about redevelopment, and it's a win for the taxpayers because it doesn't cost the taxpayers a cent."
State and local officials have said they will work on putting together a deal to build a new hockey arena in Pittsburgh — with or without help from the Penguins.
Besides Isle of Capri, two other groups are vying for the gambling license. Forest City Enterprises projects its Harrah's casino could generate nearly 4,000 direct jobs and PITG Gaming says its North Shore casino will bring in 1,500 jobs; Isle of Capri estimates its proposed casino would create 979 jobs.
Swann spoke in Freedom Square, catty-corner to the aging Mellon Arena, where the Penguins play now. He was flanked by Penguins president and CEO Ken Sawyer and the Rev. Jim Simms, a former Allegheny Council president who is executive director of Pittsburgh First, a nonprofit organization that serves the city's Hill District and is co-sponsored by the NHL team.
Swann, a former Pittsburgh Steelers receiver, stopped short of endorsing gambling and said if he is elected governor, he will inherit many things he does not favor.
"I'm not a fan of gambling, but I didn't bring gambling to Pittsburgh. This is the only plan that makes sense for Pittsburgh," he said. "If we have gambling moving forward, this is the best plan relative to a license in Pittsburgh."
Gov. Ed Rendell is expected to unveil TOday what he dubbed Plan B for funding a Penguins arena.
"It doesn't matter what he says tomorrow," Swann said. "If there's a better plan, great — that's a better plan. Odds are that will require taxpayer dollars."
Bob Oltmanns, a spokesman for PITG Gaming, said that at the outset, casino gambling was about property-tax reform.
"I'd like to know from Lynn Swann or any other official, where was the discussion to use the revenue for a new arena when the legislation was being drafted?" Oltmanns said.
Abe Naparstek, development director for Forest City Enterprises Inc., also referred to the original point of the gaming bill.
"The rule of the game was who can generate the most property-tax revenue," Naparstek said. "It's very premature to endorse a plan without the facts."
Built for $18 million and opened in 1961, Mellon Arena is the oldest and smallest in the NHL. The Penguins' owners are trying to sell the team and have said they would consider moving to another city if a new arena isn't built.
Swann, Simms and Sawyer emphasized the importance of keeping the Penguins in Pittsburgh and redeveloping the area around the arena.
"It's a no-brainer," Sawyer said. "It's not a political issue. It's an issue of what's right for the community."
