The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to purchase Hunt Armory in Shadyside, where they have been operating a public indoor ice rink since 2021.
The Penguins are considering purchasing the Emerson Street site from Pittsburgh’s Urban Redevelopment Authority for $2 million plus costs, URA Chief Development Officer Thomas Link said.
The Hunt Armory spent much of its more than 100-year life as an armory for the National Guard. The 45,600-square-foot facility witnessed visits from Presidents Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower.
The National Guard vacated the site in 2013, Link said, and the URA acquired it in 2016. Since 2021, the authority has leased it to the Penguins, which operates a public ice skating rink there.
As the first public ice rink built in Pittsburgh in decades, the Hunt Armory rink was touted as a place where local youth could learn the sport of hockey or skate for fun. It has been the home base for the Pittsburgh Inclusion Creates Equality — or Pittsburgh ICE — program, an initiative the Penguins spearheaded to help youth in the city connect with the sport.
The rink is used for public skating, as well as several local, collegiate, high school and youth hockey teams and other community engagement activities.
Over 27,000 individuals used the ice rink last season, Link said.
“It’s a well-received and welcome asset,” he said. “It’s growing in its value and its service to our city.”
Selling the site for $2 million to the Penguins would allow the URA to recoup the costs of its original acquisition.
Kevin Acklin, president of business operations for the Penguins, said the idea of using the space as an ice rink was led by the community.
“We built it and people showed up,” Acklin said. “We had a series of robust conversations with the community in Shadyside and beyond. We tested the market in the last two years and had a very good response.”
If the Penguins purchase the site, they’ll continue to prioritize community skating and hockey opportunities, said Craig Dunham, senior vice president of development for the Penguins.
The URA board would have to approve the sale.
Julia Felton is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Julia by email at jfelton@triblive.com or via Twitter .
