A NEW LINEUP
Steelers plan Heinz Field renovation that will add food options on non-game days
Ben Roethlisberger won’t be the only one joining Jerome Bettis in the restaurant backfield on the North Shore. The Steelers themselves soon will be adding to the menu of options available to fans and visitors alike.
The team is planning $2.5 million in renovations at Heinz Field involving an expansion of the Pub 33 food and beverage space inside the FedEx Great Hall to include a new outdoor patio area that will be open even on non-game days.
Team representatives will brief the city planning commission on the improvements Tuesday.
“It’s one more addition to the burgeoning North Shore development and gives people another reason to stop down and see us,” said Nice Sero, corporate communications manager for PSSI Stadium LLC, an affiliate of the Steelers.
The new outdoor space with movable fencing will hold as many as 285 people on game days and up to 150 at other times. It will be located near Art Rooney Avenue and West General Robinson Street. The menu will be nothing exotic — most likely standard fare like sandwiches and other grab-to-go items.
Construction of the patio and the other Pub 33 improvements is expected to start in April and be finished in August in time for the start of the football season. The Steelers are partnering with Aramark on the venture.
The outdoor patio concession will be open throughout the year, except during the coldest months. The team is hoping it will attract Stage AE concert goers, office workers and other visitors to the North Shore on non-game days.
Inside the Great Hall, the Steelers are planning to give the Pub 33 space a facelift, with additional concessions, an updated bar area and more table tops. Pub 33 is located next to the team’s new Hall of Honor.
The Steelers are paying for all of the improvements.