PITTSBURGH (AP) The Rivers Casino will pay $7.5 million a year toward construction of the new Penguins arena.

The city-county Sports & Exhibition Authority, which is building the $325 million Consol Energy Center, said Nov. 9 that the casino will make two payments a year for the next 30 years.

A licensing condition requires the casino to help fund the arena. Holdings Acquisition Co., which owns the casino, made a $2.3 million payment last month after the state Gaming Control Board threatened sanctions.

The casino’s owners, who rescued the stalled project from possible bankruptcy last year, had said they believed the first payment wasn’t due until at least next year.

The arena is scheduled to open for the 2010-2011 season.

Today's top stories

Ohio Expo Center & State Fair's $260M Renovation

J.D. Eckman Leads U.S. 422 Project in Pennsylvania

Volvo Upgrades Engines, Improves Productivity in Two Popular Mid-Size Wheel Loaders

Coca-Cola United Plans New $338M Birmingham HQ to Be Built Off Interstate 20/59

Jobseekers Leveraging Career Market for In-Demand Skilled Trades

Monroe Tractor Promotes Tauyna Trexler as Albany, N.Y.'s Service Manager

Skanska Awarded $24M Contract for Supplemental Track Improvements to MBTA's Red Line

Liebherr Announces New General Manager of Corporate Responsibility