In a post-covid-19 future, executives with FNB Corp. meet with clients at its 24-story headquarters Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District and walk across the street to PPG Arena, entering through the FNB Gate to seats in the FNB Club section in time for the puck drop at a Penguins game.
Now based on the North Shore, FNB announced Thursday its latest partnership with the Penguins, where the bank will become one of the team’s founding partners. Last year, FNB announced plans for a new headquarters building on the former Civic Arena site in a development led in part by the Penguins.
FNB joins PPG, Dick’s Sporting Goods, FedEx, Highmark, Peoples and six other companies that have founding partnerships with the team.
As part of the deal, FNB will replace Verizon’s name on a PPG Arena gate on Centre Avenue. The FNB Club of premium seats will be located on the west side of the arena. There will also be FNB ATMs and a digital center in the arena as the company becomes the official retail and digital banking partner of the Penguins.
“It gives us an opportunity to work with a sports franchise that is a class act,” FNB Corp. President and CEO Vincent J. Delie Jr. said. “It elevates our visibility.”
Many FNB customers are Pens fans as well, Delie said.
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Work on the deal came before the December 2019 announcement that FNB intends to build its new headquarters in the Lower Hill District development around the former Civic Arena site.
“It builds upon our relationship we’re forging together,” Penguins Senior Vice President and General Counsel Kevin Acklin said.
In August, the Penguins and FNB donated $100,000 for a youth technology center in the Ammon Community Recreation Center in the Hill District.
Delie is a North Side native. Penguins President David Morehouse grew up in Beechview. Acklin is from Oakland.
They’re “three Pittsburgh guys who are very much committed to the city,” Acklin said.
Plans for the redevelopment of the Civic Arena site are still taking shape amid the uncertainties of the covid-19 pandemic.
“We’re still actively working with FNB toward construction of their headquarters,” Acklin said. “We’re still as optimistic as ever with redeveloping the Lower Hill District at a time when the city needs it most.”
The pandemic has slowed the project and the hit it has dealt the economy makes a timeline uncertain.
“We’re deeply committed to making the right decision for our shareholders. I think there’s an opportunity for us to move forward. Covid makes it more challenging,” Delie said. “We think we’ll be in a unique position to provide an office environment fully-compliant in a post-covid environment.”
