Washington Avenue Armory

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Washington Avenue Armory
"The Armory"
Full name	Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention Arena
Location	195 Washington Avenue Albany, New York, USA 12210
Built	1890s
Opened	1890s
Owner	Jim Coyne
Operator	Jim Coyne
Tenants	Albany Patroons (1982-90, 2005-)
Capacity	3,600-4,300

The Washington Avenue Armory, officially known as the Washington Avenue Armory Sports and Convention Arena, is a multi-purpose arena in Albany, New York. It is the home of the Albany Patroons basketball teams of the Continental Basketball Association (the headquarters of which are located inside the Armory) and the United States Basketball League. The Armory has a capacity of 4,300 for concerts and conventions and 3,600 for sports events.^[1]

The Armory sits on the corner of Washington Avenue and Lark Street in downtown Albany. It was built in the late 1890s, when it was used as a munitions depot. Since the earliest years of professional and collegiate basketball, several college and minor league basketball teams have played in the Armory, as there was no other suitable facility for hoops in the Albany area for many years.

Between 1982 and 1990, the Armory became home to the Albany Patroons of the Continental Basketball Association. After the Patroons moved to the then-new Knickerbocker Arena, the Armory fell into disuse and was the target of several reuse proposals including becoming the new home of the Albany Library System (whose main branch is next door to the Armory). In 2004, a group headed by former Albany County executive Jim Coyne bought the Armory and the renovated facility opened in September 2005, later that year becoming the home for a reincarnated Patroons. In 2006, the CBA Patroons were joined by the former Pennsylvania ValleyDawgs of the USBL though their first home game as the USBL Patroons did not take place until 2007.

The Armory has 38,000 feet of floor space, meeting facilities, and two video screens. Its website states that it will soon open an underground mall featuring stores and eateries.^[2] Naming rights for the facility are currently up for bid. The name change was scheduled to take place late 2006.^[3]

The Armory was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 2, 1995.

On December 15th, 2007 the Armory had to cancel a concert of the rock band Brand New because the roof begun to cave in. ^[4]

[edit] See also

• Lark Street

[edit] References

1. ^ Washington Avenue Armory Facts
2. ^ Washington Avenue Armory
3. ^ Armory seeks naming rights proposals - The Business Review (Albany):
4. ^ news

[edit] External links

• Washington Avenue Armory Homepage

• Washington Avenue Armory is at coordinates 42°39′26″N 73°45′44″W / 42.657081, -73.762325 (Washington Avenue Armory)Coordinates: 42°39′26″N 73°45′44″W / 42.657081, -73.762325 (Washington Avenue Armory)

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v • d • e Current arenas in the United States Basketball League Bicentennial Center • Pratt Gymnasium • Dodge City Civic Center • Mark Price Arena • Schwartz Athletic Center • Washington Avenue Armory