The growth is not without other pain. This bold leap into the future, even if it's on its first tentative baby steps, also has risks. The teams must generate enough new taxes to justify their state grants. And all the work the Pirates have done to get the new ballpark could be jeopardized if Major League Baseball gags on its own success. The worst nightmare is the game shutting down again following the 2001 season if owners and players can't remedy economic disparity and find payroll sanity.
Countless details require attention to keep the projects on time and on budget.
The tripling of the size of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, envisioned as a way to draw in new business and serve as a town meeting hall, won't get started in earnest until later this year. But for now, with the new projects tying into retail stores and the new buildings for PNC and Mellon Bank, the most immediate impact is on the city's psyche. There's a renewed spirit, a pride in the city. Stadium site as of June 17, 1999. The first direction for the new structures is down.