Pittsburgh City Council OKs giant video screen on North Shore

Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday approved plans by a private venture to erect a giant video screen near PNC Park for people to watch Pirates games.

Some members of the Planning Commission had previously voiced concerns that the screen would be visible from Interstate 279.

But their fears seemed to be alleviated after Chicago-based architectural firm Barker Nestor told the commission the screen would be angled to reduce its visibility from the interstate.

Joe Luzio, a project developer with the firm, said that the screen would be set back 6 feet into a steel structure that he described as a “natural shroud” to block the display from the road.

Plans also call for trees around the screen to block it from view outside of a proposed 30,000-square-foot plaza where people could gather to dine at a restaurant and watch ball games.

As proposed, the 916-square-foot LED screen would be nearly 23 feet tall and more than 40 feet wide.

The plan is for the screen to be ready by the second quarter of 2025, according to Shawn Gallagher, a Pittsburgh attorney representing the development team.

Luzio touted the screen as a new way for local fans to watch Pirates games. He said it might also be used for private events.

No one from the Pirates has responded to requests for comment since the idea was first introduced last fall.

City Council unanimously approved the plans. Councilwoman Erika Strassburger, D-Squirrel Hill, was not present for the vote.

The Planning Commission voted in favor in November.