With the announcement of a new stadium to be built at Station Square, professional soccer will soon have a home in Pittsburgh.
The
Pittsburgh Riverhounds announced plans last week to build a $7 million, 3,500-seat multi-sport stadium in Station Square. The stadium will overlook the Monongahela River, and north to the city's other two riverfront stadiums, Heinz Field and PNC Park.
CEO Jason Kutney says this development is an opportunity for the Riverhounds to be considered a “real” franchise, located in the same area as Pittsburgh’s other professional teams.
“Our focus really is to make this the most accessible downtown stadium, where we're looking to get year-round usage,” Kutney says.
In addition to the Riverhounds, the stadium is planned to be home to a number of local schools and colleges, the Pittsburgh Passion women’s football team, and a few rugby clubs. And in wintertime hockey rinks will be installed on top of the turf.
Although they’ve been in the region for several years, the Riverhounds have spent the past five years playing at the Chartiers Valley High School. The Riverhounds participate in the United Soccer League (USL), which is recognized as the second highest level of soccer, just below the top-tier Major League Soccer (MLS) league.
The Riverhounds mascot's name, AMO, stands for the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, and the new stadium will be located near the confluence of those three rivers.
“It is pretty cool to see that the Riverhounds are finally going to be in Pittsburgh, and the name of the mascot, AMO, will finally make sense,” Kutney says.
Writer: Andrew Moore
Source: Jason Kutney