PITTSBURGH -- On Monday, in a letter sent to Gov. Ed Rendell, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, the Pittsburgh Penguins said talks to reach an arena deal are at an impasse, and they're aggressively looking at other options in other cities.

Late Tuesday afternoon, word came that a meeting between all parties would take place Thursday, possibly in Philadelphia. But a spokesman from Rendell's office said the meeting has not been finalized yet.

Rendell said he'll try to block the Pens from moving if they decide not to accept the deal that his group is offering.

"I'm hopeful that the Penguins will take it," Rendell said Tuesday in Philadelphia. "If they don't take it, we will be up in New York before the NHL, asking them to bar the Penguins from moving, because this is not a case where they don't have a good fan base. Pittsburgh was supporting the Penguins when they were a last-place team."

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has said he would prefer that the Pens stay in Pittsburgh, but the league's Board of Governors would make the final call if the Pens try to move.

Up until the impasse letter was sent, political leaders said they were optimistic that a deal to build a new arena in Pittsburgh would get done. The Penguins responded by saying negotiations have broken down, and they are looking elsewhere.

"They have become frustrated and I can tell you that, in many ways, we are frustrated," Ravenstahl said Tuesday.

Late last week, Rendell spoke optimistically about the arena plan. Three days later, the team sent the impasse letter.

Ravenstahl said he has reached out to the Penguins since he received the letter on Monday afternoon. Onorato said he, too, would reach out to the Penguins and speak with Bettman.

In a statement, a Rendell spokesman said, "The governor believes that we have put an exceptionally attractive offer on the table."

According to the Penguins, they have agreed to annual payments totaling $4 million a year for 30 years.

Additionally, they agreed to be at risk for cost overruns in construction of a new arena.

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