Mario Lemieux, Gov. Tom Ridge to Discuss New Arena Wednesday July 25, 2001 3:07 PM PITTSBURGH (AP) - Gov. Tom Ridge and Penguins owner and player Mario Lemieux plan to meet after Labor Day to discuss the state's role in financing a new hockey arena. After playing a round of golf Monday at Shannopin Country Club, Lemieux and Ridge agreed to meet after the holiday to discuss the arena. "It was not a business get-together. The discussion did not focus on the arena," Ridge spokesman Steve Aaron said about Monday's meeting. The Penguins have said a replacement for Mellon Arena - the oldest arena in the NHL - could cost as much as $226 million. Although team executives say the development is still in the early stages, they want to be ready for discussions with political and business leaders by the fall. "We want to talk to a lot of people and see the best way to hopefully get this arena project done," said Tom McMillan, vice president of marketing and communications for the Penguins. Ridge, who controls $60 million in state funds for a new stadium, has said the state would play a lesser role in developing a new arena than it did for new baseball and football stadiums in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The state funded one-third of the costs of stadiums for the Pirates and Steelers. Penguins officials have ruled out remodeling the 40-year-old Mellon Arena, saying the cost would be nearly as much as building a new facility.
