| Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County | |
|---|---|
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | February 3, 1954 |
| Superseding agency | Public Auditorium Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County |
| Jurisdiction | City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania |
| Agency executive | John Chalovich, Chairman |
| Website | |
| http://www.pgh-sea.com/ | |
The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (also known as the Sports & Exhibition Authority or SEA) is a municipal authority that owns and operates public sports and entertainment venues in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and the City of Pittsburgh. [1]
It was founded as the Public Auditorium Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.[2] In November 1999, it was renamed to its current name.[2] It owns Mellon Arena, PNC Park, Heinz Field, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, North Shore Riverfront Park, Consol Energy Center, and the North Shore Parking Garage.[2]
In July 1998, the SEA developed the "Destination Financing Plan" to encourage Pittsburgh's image as a travel destination.[2] The plan financed the complete redesign and expansion of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center as well as the construction of PNC Park and Heinz Field. The $1 billion in funds for these projects was raised from hotel tax and sales tax revenues, ticket surcharges for Pittsburgh Steelers tickets, parking revenues, State appropriations, federal funds, corporate funds, foundation money, and team contributions.[2]