officially became the Civic Arena again. Replacement, debate, and demolition At its closing in 2010, the Civic Arena was the oldest and third smallest arena in the NHL by official capacity (the Islanders and Oilers arenas seated fewer). In later years, the arena's staff was forced to use space for multiple purposes never intended in the building's original design. The Penguins franchise agreed to a deal with city and state officials to fund a new home arena for the franchise in March 2007. The PPG Paints Arena is located across the street from the site of Civic Arena and has a higher seating capacity. The Penguins played their first game at PPG Paints Arena October 7, 2010. A March 2007 agreement between the SEA and the Penguins states that Civic Arena would be demolished after completion of PPG Paints Arena in July 2010. During this time, SEA conducted a historic assessment of the arena. It was eligible to be considered for the National Register of Historic Places, mainly because of its unique, retractable dome. A private consultant to SEA was hired to conduct the survey. The consultant followed the state Historic and Museum Commission guidelines to determine whether demolishing the arena, or reusing it, would adversely affect historic structures or artifacts in the area. The recommendations of the consultant to SEA were scheduled to be delivered in June 2010. On September 16, 2010, the Allegheny County Sports and Exhibition Authority voted unanimously to demolish the Civic Arena. SEA Board chairman, State Senator Wayne Fontana, D–Brookline, said the board's decision will not be final unless someone comes forward with a better idea on the use of the Arena. During the summer of 2010, workers removed asbestos from the building while a demolition plan was designed. The board also decided to sell assets (handled by the auction company Asset Auctions) from inside and would later award a demolition contract in February 2011. Proponents for retaining the building opposed the demolition decision in court, and attempted to seek landmark status. On November 24, 2010, the building's demolition was delayed due to a last-minute nomination as a National Historic Landmark. Also, on January 5, 2011, the Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission voted 5–1 in favor for preliminary approval of the arena's historic nomination status. The vote paved the way for a formal hearing on the proposed designation on March 2. The HRC ultimately voted against