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 | |
|---|---|
  |
|
| 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: 17,098 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.
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.
KeyArena is the first publicly financed arena fully supported by earned income from the building. Its seating capacity for basketball games is 17,098, 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.
Contents |
[edit] History
The arena was opened in 1962 as the Seattle Center Coliseum.
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]
[edit] Renovations
The arena was rebuilt between 1994 and 1995.
The new arena maintained the architectural integrity of the original roofline by using the existing steel trusses in combination with four new main diagonal trusses. The wood, steel and concrete from the demolition was either reused in construction of the new arena or sold to recyclers. The original acoustical panels, the panels attached to the roof that keep the space from echoing, were refurbished and reused. The court was lowered 35 feet (10.5 meters) below street level to allow for 3,000 more seats.
The new arena was renamed KeyArena, as Key Bank purchased the naming rights.
The renovation cost the city of Seattle $74.5 million, and the Seattle SuperSonics approximately $21 million.
The first regular season game that the Seattle SuperSonics played in the rebuilt arena was on November 4, 1995, against the Los Angeles Lakers.
In late 2004 proposals for expanding KeyArena to nearly twice its current size to accommodate new restaurants, shops, and a practice court (the cost was estimated at $220 million) were debated.[citation needed]
[edit] Gallery
 KeyArena's main entrance. |
 KeyArena's main entrance. |
 Interior of KeyArena. |
 Panorama of the interior of a mostly full KeyArena about 2 hours prior to a campaign rally for US Senator for Illinois Barack Obama, 8 Feb 2008 |
[edit] Notes
| Preceded by first arena The Kingdome Tacoma Dome |
Home of the Seattle SuperSonics 1967 – 1978 1985 – 1994 1995 – 2010 |
Succeeded by The Kingdome Tacoma Dome Current |
| Preceded by Kamloops Memorial Arena |
Home of the Seattle Thunderbirds 1977 – 1994 (with Mercer Arena) 1995 – present |
Succeeded by Kent Events Center |
| 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 |
| Preceded by Chicago Stadium |
Host of the NBA All-Star Game 1974 |
Succeeded by Veterans Memorial Coliseum |
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
