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PNC Park, the new home of the Pittsburgh Pirates opened in spring 2001. The facility, constructed along the shore of the Allegheny River and adjacent to Federal Street, was designed by Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum (HOK), Inc. out of Kansas City, MO.
Demolition on the current site of PNC Park began on September 29, 1998. Ceremonial groundbreaking took place on April 7, 1999, with Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, Pittsburgh Mayor Tom Murphy, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, National League President Leonard Coleman, Pirates' CEO and Managing General Partner Kevin McClatchy and PNC Bank Chairman/CEO Tom O'Brien all in attendance. Official construction began on April 14, 1999, as 55-foot deep concrete "piles" were poured to serve as the structural foundation for the ballpark.
PNC Park has just over 38,000 seats, making it the most intimate of any of the newly constructed parks. The playing surface has natural grass and asymmetrical fences with the Pittsburgh City skyline serving as an outfield backdrop. The field measures 325 feet down the left field line and 320 feet down the right field line. The power alleys measure 389 feet in left-center and 375 feet in right. Straightaway center field is 399 feet from home plate and distances out to a 410 feet nook in deep left-center field. The outfield fence varies from a mere six feet in left field, 10 feet by the left-center field bullpens, and rise to a 21-foot wall in right field honoring Roberto Clemente.
PNC Park is the first ballpark with a two-deck design to be built in the United States since Milwaukee's County Stadium was completed in 1953. Because of its intimate design, the highest seat is just 88 feet from the field, giving every fan in the park an ideal sight line.
Other features of the new facility include 69 suites with their own concourse level, club seating at both the field and mezzanine levels with their own respective lounges, an outfield barbecue pit, a restaurant with a party deck that overlooks both the playing field and the city, and an outdoor river terrace and river walk. The design also incorporates the Roberto Clemente Bridge, which on game days is part of the ballgame experience, serving as a main walkway from downtown and an interactive area for the park.
PNC Park also houses retail areas along the Federal Street and General Robinson Street corridor and the Pirates, administrative and ticket offices.
"I believe that PNC Park serves as the crown jewel of the renaissance of the City of Pittsburgh," said Kevin McClatchy, the Pirates CEO and Managing General Partner. "This facility offers all of the intimacy of beloved Forbes Field with all of the modern amenities that today's baseball fans expect. What makes this ballpark unique is its size, giving our fans the best sight lines and the most dramatic view of a downtown area of any park in America."
PNC Park is the fifth home of the Pittsburgh Pirates since their inception in 1887. The fledgling National League franchise first began play at Recreation Park, located at the corners of Grant and Pennsylvania Avenues along the Fort Wayne railroad tracks on the North Side. The club then moved to Exposition Park in 1891, which was situated along the Allegheny River between the new ballpark site and where Three Rivers Stadium currently stands. After 18 years at Exposition, including hosting the first World Series in 1903, the Bucs moved to Forbes Field in Oakland on June 30, 1909. The club spent 61 seasons at Forbes, its longest tenure at any facility, before moving to its most recent home, Three Rivers Stadium on July 16, 1970.