Hockey Legend Mario Lemieux Scores a Medical Project

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA–During his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL), Mario Lemieux was known as a prolific goal scorer with a quick wrist shot.

While Mr. Lemieux's playing days are over, his legacy certainly lives on with Penguins fans, who still revere him for bringing the city three Stanley Cup championships, two as a player and one as the owner of the club.

Hockey isn't the only thing “Super Mario” means to the Pittsburgh area, however, as his name is being placed front and center on an under-construction $70 million, 185,000 square foot sports and medical complex planned for Cranberry Township, about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh.

The future Lemieux Sports Complex, to be owned by UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) and the Penguins franchise, will include a two-story, nearly 50,000 square foot medical office building (MOB) for the non-profit UPMC (UPMC) and two practice ice rinks for the Penguins. The complex, slated for completion in July 2015, is underway near the intersection of U.S. Interstate 79 and Pennsylvania Route 228 in Butler County.

According to a warranty deed dated March 10 and filed with the Butler County Recorder, UMPC Presbyterian Shadyside paid Sippel Enterprises LP about $10.37 million for the 11.11-acre parcel upon which the sports complex is being built. The sports medicine complex is part of Sippel Developments ongoing 90-acre, 1.7 million square foot, five-phase Cranberry Springs development. The firm is also planning a 100-room hotel, five restaurants, and possibly retail and office space.

According to ICON Venue Group, the Penguins' client representative for the development, the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex will be a “first-of-its-kind” sports performance center and NHL practice rink. In addition to housing what will become the new primary training center for the hockey team, the facility will be home to an “NHL-quality” locker room, a weight room and two hockey rinks with 1000 seats and 500 seats, respectively. When the rinks are not being used by the Penguins they will be open to the public for skating and other events.

The medical office portion of the complex will include clinical space “for world-class orthopedic and therapy programs for injury treatment and prevention,” according to ICON. The facility will house 24 exam rooms, including a concussion clinic and spaces for imaging, physical therapy and sports performance training.

Ground was broken for the project in October in a ceremony attended by Penguins' owner Mario Lemieux, team president David Morehouse, UPMC CEO Jeffrey Romoff and other dignitaries. Site work has been underway since fall, but the closing of the land sale cleared the way for facility construction to begin. The architect is BBH Design of Raleigh, N.C., and the general contractor is P.J. Dick of Pittsburgh. 

Mr. Lemieux is an NHL Hall of Famer and cancer survivor who played parts of 17 seasons with the Penguins before buying the team in 1999. He and his family foundation have contributed to a number of UPMC projects at other locations.