PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates are entering their 26th season at PNC Park in 2026 and have high expectations of themselves.
The Pirates get to play in one of the most beautiful ball parks in all of baseball, with a beautiful view of the Downtown Pittsburgh skyline, the Roberto Clemente Bridge and the Allegheny River.
PNC Park is a great day out for any Pirates fan or baseball fan, but overtime, the stadium needs renovations and improvements.
Luckily for the Pirates, they recently acquired some cash to fix an issue at PNC Park for next season.
Pirates Receive Money for Stadium Upgrade
The Sports & Exhibition Authority (SEA) of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County announced that it is giving the Pirates close to $300,000 for the repairs of 17 exterior doors, according to Adam Bebetski of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Sep 17, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; General view of the Honus Wagner statue and main gate before the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Seattle Mariners at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
SEA Project Executive Doug Straley said the doors were flagged years prior for inspection. Straley the doors have rusted holes around the frames due to aging.
“These specific grouping of doors is critical to the day-to-day operations at PNC Park, as they are entry points for several of the main mechanical and electrical rooms,” Straley said to Bebetski.
Straley also said that Mascaro Construction, located in bordering neighborhood Chateau on the North Side, will install the new doors over a 15-week lead time into the regular season, which should last 20 years.
The Role of the SEA with the Pirates
The Pirates and the SEA have an important relationship, especially when it comes to PNC Park.
SEA owns the ballpark and leases it to the Pirates. The original lease started with the opening of the ballpark in 2001 and ends in 2030, a 30-year lease
The City of Pittsburgh also has a vested interest in PNC Park, as they, Allegheny County and the commonwealth of Pennsylvania contributed most of the $809 million for the construction of the ball park, as well as Heinz Field, now Acrisure Stadium, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, both of which are located in the North Shore neighborhood in Pittsburgh.
The Pirates contributed $40 million to the project, with PNC Park costing around $216 million.
They pay a base rent of $100,000 per year to the SEA and then an “Excess Gate”, which includes a percentage of ticket revenue, an “Excess Concession Revenue”, which includes a percentage of money made from concessions, plus a “Ticket Surcharge”, which is money made from ticket surcharge.
Former Pittsburgh City Councilwoman, Theresa Kail-Smith, wanted to call a post agenda to have formal discussions on Pirates owner Bob Nutting after a poor 2025 season and also his tenure in charge of the franchise.
SEA also cleared up their role in the Bucco Bricks fiasco, when commemorative pavers near gate entrances at PNC Park ended up in a recycling facility, showing how they weren’t responsible for the incident.