Homewood man hopes to breathe new life into old Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum

PITTSBURGH — A community organizer from Homewood is hoping to breathe new life into the old Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority put out a request for information from the community to rehabilitate the empty 27,000-square-foot Coliseum.

We’re told they went through hundreds of applications, and after nine months, Rico Rucker tells Channel 11 he’s one of the finalists.

“Everything that that building used to do in the past, we want to be able to bring it back. The cabaret, the bowling, the roller-skating rink, eventually I would love to get to the whole block.”

Rucker is from Homewood. He’s a community organizer who donates food and other items to those in need. He organized a meeting to share this rendering of a new skating rink and bowling alley that would be called the Steel City’s Rollers Rink & Event Center.

“I know the power that that building has. It’s culture-changing. It used to be here before. It was thriving,” Rucker said.

Rucker says he’s hoping the Urban Redevelopment Authority and Homewood Collaborative both agree to allow him to buy the building. People in Homewood tell us that area needs investment and inner-city kids need positive activities right in their own backyard.

“It would draw back the children in and you’ll have a safe environment to enjoy,” said Homewood resident Alicia Rucker.

“This is needed for Homewood, for the culture and just the number of jobs it would bring in. Our community needs to come together and find something active for our kids to do,” said Homewood resident Janeen Rudolph.

Rico Rucker tells Channel 11 the URA and the Homewood Collaborative will make their final decision in late April about the future of the Greater Pittsburgh Coliseum.

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