🐧 Wednesday is here. On this day in 1958, construction began on the Civic Arena.

• Nicknamed "The Igloo," it hosted the Pens for decades and was an architectural marvel, but was also controversial because large portions of the Lower Hill District were bulldozed to make way for the arena.

☀️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, highs approaching 70.

🎧 Sounds like: "(No More) Paddy's Lament," by Flogging Molly

🏀 Situational Awareness: Robert Morris University men's basketball team punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament after defeating Youngstown State 89-78 yesterday. The Colonials are going dancing for the first time since 2015.

Today's newsletter is 854 words, a 3.5-minute read.

St. Patrick's Day parade officials say good weather could bring out massive crowds this weekend, and they want Pittsburghers to be prepared.

Why it matters: Pittsburgh has one of the largest St. Patrick's Day celebrations in the country — typically attracting about 300,000 people, according to Visit Pittsburgh — and reveling in the parade and other events kicks off the region's unofficial start to spring.

Driving the news: The city's Irish celebration is held on Saturday, centered on a morning parade that marches through Downtown.

• Parade committee member Mike McGeever tells Axios that if rain holds off until the afternoon, he expects crowds to hit over 500,000 people.

🍀 What they're saying: "There is a large Irish contingency in Pittsburgh," McGeever said, noting that both his parents were born in Ireland. "The parade provides a real celebration for Downtown, like when the Steelers win the Super Bowl or Fourth of July at the Point."

Pro tip: McGeever said if you want a good viewing spot, arrive around 7am when the parade route streets start to shut down.

• Popular viewing locations include the portico of the City-County Building, and the corner of Grant Street and Boulevard of the Allies.

🏃 Zoom in: Early birds can enjoy a new event this year: The Parade Day Dash, a 5K and 1-mile family run that runs along the route before the parade.

• Market Square is designated family-friendly until 5pm this year, hosting games and entertainment for children.

If you go: The parade starts at 10am and usually ends around 2pm.

• It begins at the Greyhound station at Liberty Avenue and 11th Street, marches down Grant Street and takes a right on Boulevard of the Allies before dispersing after Stanwix Street.

🍺 Revelers looking for green beer should head to Carson Street in the South Side after the parade.

• Other popular Irish pubs across the city include Mullaney's Harp & Fiddle in the Strip District, Cork Harbour Pub in Lawrenceville, Monterey Pub in the North Side, and Murphy's Taproom in Regent Square.

Where to park

A signature piece of Downtown's skyline is about to get a fresh look.

Why it matters: New owners of the 45-story One Oxford Centre tower on Grant Street — Downtown's third-largest office building — want to restore its status as a "premier business address" after pandemic-era workforce shifts slashed office occupancy rates in the city's core.

Driving the news: Aaron Stauber, president of New Jersey-based Rugby Realty, and a team of local investors won a $56 million bid for an outstanding loan on the skyscraper after previous owners, San Francisco-based firm Shorenstein, struggled to navigate the post-pandemic real estate market.

State of play: Rugby's team plans to renovate the tower's five-story lobby to help attract and retain tenants with "a striking, four-story commissioned chandelier suspended above a sleek, upscale central bar," the firm said. The team plans to redevelop over 18 months.

• A soundproof music studio with karaoke will "offer a space to unwind and create."

The big picture: The purchase adds to Stauber's Downtown portfolio, which includes the Gulf Tower, Koppers Building, Frick Building and 10 other properties.

• Rugby is also spearheading two key projects in the city and state's $600 million Downtown redevelopment effort, including the $230 million conversion of the Gulf Tower into a luxury hotel and apartment building.

Zoom in

🎓 The University of Pittsburgh has ordered a hiring freeze for faculty and staff as it deals with uncertainty in federal funding allocations. The funding freeze will last through June and could be extended. (WESA)

🏪 Business owners in Breezewood are bracing for the worst after news that Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission will eliminate the detour that passes through their small town. (TribLive)

☕️ Unionized Starbucks workers at the Bloomfield store walked out and picketed yesterday as part of a nationwide labor action calling for the company to finalize contracts with workers. (Press release)

U. S. Steel is committed to strengthening the communities it calls home.

That’s why the company partnered with the Pittsburgh Penguins Foundation for the Reading Champions program.

The impact: Children’s reading scores increased by 20% in Allegheny County.

Learn more.

The federal government's free at-home COVID test distribution program has been suspended and is no longer accepting orders.

Why it matters: The program's suspension comes at the five-year mark of the coronavirus pandemic.

The big picture: The at-home testing distribution program launched in January 2022. Since then, it has been significantly expanded but also had been suspended a few times over the years.

• The program last returned on Sept. 26 and took orders through Sunday night.
• It was not immediately known if the program could return in the future.

State of play: For some previously distributed tests, expiration dates were extended to account for data that revealed a longer-than-expected shelf life.

• A full list of approved tests and their revised expiration dates is posted on the FDA website.

Go deeper

👋 Ryan here. I took this shot from the top floor of the United Steelworkers union headquarters while reporting on the impact NIH cuts could have on the region.

Zoom in: Each diamond window provides a glimpse of Pittsburgh's three rivers:

• The Fort Pitt Bridge over the Monongahela River on the left
• Point State Park and the headwaters of the Ohio River in the middle
• And Acrisure Stadium on the banks of the Allegheny River on the right.

A state-of-the-art fire engine has arrived at U. S. Steel's Mon Valley Works near Pittsburgh, enhancing emergency response capabilities across three area plants.

This investment supports a team of 54 highly trained first responders, reinforcing U. S. Steel's commitment to safety.

Read more.

🥖 Ryan is making Irish soda bread in preparation for St. Patrick's Day. Here is his old recipe. (If you can't find rye flour, just replace with more white flour.)

🥪 Chrissy is excited to try Breadbox, a new sandwich and sweets shop on the North Side.

Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.