KeyArena
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2007) |
| KeyArena | |
|---|---|
| Image:KeyArena logo.png Image:KeyArena.jpg | |
| Location | 305 Harrison Street Seattle, Washington 98109 |
| Opened | 1962 (renovated 1994) |
| Owner | City of Seattle |
| Operator | City of Seattle |
| Construction cost | $74.5 million (1994 renovation) |
| Former names | Seattle Center Coliseum (1962-1994) |
| Tenants | Seattle SuperSonics (NBA) (1967-1978, 1985-1994, 1995-Present) Seattle Storm (WNBA) (2000- Present) Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) (1977-1994, 1995-present) Seattle SeaDogs (CISL) (1995-1997)) Seattle University Redhawks (NCAA) (1963-1980, 2008-Future) |
| Capacity | Basketball: 17,072 Hockey: 15,177 Concert: 16,641 Boxing: 17,459 |
KeyArena at Seattle Center is located north of downtown Seattle, USA on the grounds of Seattle Center (the site of 1962's Century 21 Exposition, a World's Fair). The arena's primary tenants are the Seattle SuperSonics of the National Basketball Association. It hosted the 1974 NBA All-Star Game.
The arena was opened in 1962 as the Seattle Center Coliseum. It was completely rebuilt in between 1994 and 1995, using the roof trusses. The building's original roofline was used as a guide and some of the original concrete for the main supports still exists, but almost everything about the arena was brand new. The court was lowered 35 feet below street level to allow for 3,000 more seats. After the rebuild, the Coliseum was renamed KeyArena, as Key Bank purchased the naming rights. The first regular season game that the Seattle SuperSonics played in KeyArena at Seattle Center took place on November 4, 1995, against the Los Angeles Lakers.
For several seasons between 1980-1985, the Sonics used the Kingdome as their home arena, in addition to the Coliseum. This primarily occurred during playoff games and other games with sellout crowds exceeding that of the old coliseum's capacity of around 14,000. The Coliseum has also been a site of controversy. On January 5, 1986, a game between the Sonics and the Phoenix Suns was rained out on account of a leaky roof. Several seasons before in 1972, Spencer Haywood injured himself after slipping in a water puddle on court as a result of the leaky roof. He would later sue the City of Seattle and collect $55,000.[1]
In addition to being the home of the Sonics, it is also home to the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association and the Seattle Thunderbirds, a junior hockey team in the Western Hockey League. The Thunderbirds hosted the Memorial Cup here in 1992. It is also used for non-athletic entertainment purposes, such as ice shows, circuses, and concerts.
The renovation cost the city of Seattle $74.5 million, and the Seattle SuperSonics approximately $21 million. KeyArena is the first publicly financed arena fully supported by earned income from the building. Its seating capacity for basketball games is 17,072, ice hockey games and ice shows 15,177, end-stage concerts 16,641, and center-stage concerts and boxing 17,459. Risers hold 7,440 on the upper level and up to 7,741 on the lower level, with luxury suites adding another 1,160 seats.
In late 2004 proposals for expanding KeyArena to nearly twice its current size to accommodate new restaurants, shops, and a practice court (the cost is to be approximately $220 million) were debated. Because of a lack of interest by the city of Seattle in following through on the project the new owners of the Sonics and Storm made the decision to look outside the city limits for siting a replacement arena. Renton was chosen as the site for the new King County Events Center. The viability of the arena after the Sonics lease expires in 2010 is under question.
[edit] Gallery
KeyArena1.JPG
KeyArena's main entrance. |
KeyArena2.JPG
KeyArena's main entrance. |
Key Arena.jpg
Interior of the KeyArena. |
[edit] Notes
| Preceded by first arena | Home of the Seattle SuperSonics 1967–1978 | Succeeded by The Kingdome 1978–1985 |
| Preceded by The Kingdome 1978–1985 | Home of the Seattle SuperSonics 1985–1994 | Succeeded by Tacoma Dome 1994–1995 |
| Preceded by Tacoma Dome 1994–1995 | Home of the Seattle SuperSonics 1995–present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by Kamloops Memorial Arena 1974-1977 | Home of the Seattle Thunderbirds (shared with Mercer Arena) 1977-1994 | Succeeded by Mercer Arena 1994-1995 |
| Preceded by Mercer Arena 1994-1995 | Home of the Seattle Thunderbirds 1995-present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by first arena | Home of the Seattle Storm 2000-present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by first arena | Home of the Seattle SeaDogs 1995-1997 | Succeeded by last arena |
Current arenas in the Western Hockey League | |
|---|---|
| Eastern Conference | Art Hauser Centre · Brandt Centre · Centennial Civic Centre · Cranbrook Recreational Complex · Credit Union Centre · ENMAX Centre · ENMAX Centrium · Keystone Centre · Medicine Hat Arena · Moose Jaw Civic Centre · Pengrowth Saddledome · Rexall Place |
| Western Conference | CN Centre · Everett Events Center · Interior Savings Centre · KeyArena · Memorial Coliseum · Pacific Coliseum · Prospera Centre · Prospera Place · Rose Garden · Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena · Toyota Center |
fr:KeyArena at Seattle Center ja:キーアリーナ
Categories: Articles needing additional references from September 2007 | Sports venues in Seattle | Indoor arenas in the United States | Basketball venues in the United States | 1962 establishments | Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States | Indoor soccer venues in the United States | National Basketball Association venues | Seattle Storm | Seattle SuperSonics | Seattle Center | Western Hockey League arenas
