Accesso ShoWare Center facts for kids
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The Show
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Arena bowl (c. 2012)
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 Kent
Location in the United States
Kent
Location in Washington (state)
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| Former names | Kent Events Center (planning/construction) Amiga Center (planning/construction) ShoWare Center (2009–2017) |
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| Address | 625 W. James Street |
| Location | Kent, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 47°23′18″N 122°14′24″W / 47.38833°N 122.24000°W ACoordinates: Extra unexpected parameters |
| Owner | City of Kent |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| Capacity | 7,141 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 25, 2007 |
| Opened | January 2, 2009 |
| Construction cost | $84.5 million |
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| Project manager | Shiels Obletz Johnsen, Inc. |
| Structural engineer | Magnusson Klemencic Associates |
| Services engineer | Wood Harbinger, Inc. |
| General contractor | Mortenson Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) (2009–present) Seattle Mist (LFL) (2009–2019) Seattle Thunder (X League) (2022–present) Rat City Rollergirls (WFTDA (2009–2021) Kent Predators/Seattle Timberwolves (IFL) (2010–2011) Seattle Impact (MASL) (2014–2015) Tacoma Stars (MASL) (2015–present) |
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The accesso ShoWare Center is a large building in Kent, Washington. It's a suburb located south of Seattle in the Northwestern United States. This arena is used for many different events, like sports games and concerts.
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About the accesso ShoWare Center
Construction on the ShoWare Center started in September 2007. The arena officially opened its doors in January 2009. It is home to two main sports teams: the Seattle Thunderbirds for hockey and the Tacoma Stars for indoor soccer.
How the Arena Got Its Name
The arena's name has changed a few times. At first, it was going to be called the "Amiga Center." However, the company Amiga didn't make a payment, so they lost the naming rights.
Later, in 2008, the city of Kent sold the naming rights to a company called VisionOne, Inc. They named the arena after their main software program, ShoWare. This program helps manage ticket sales for events. In 2014, a tech company called Accesso bought VisionOne, Inc. Because of this, the arena's name changed to the accesso ShoWare Center in late 2017.
Design and Management
The building was designed by architects from LMN Architects in Seattle and PBK Architects. A company called SMG, based in Philadelphia, manages and operates the arena.
The ShoWare Center has hosted many exciting events. For example, it was the location for the 2012 Skate America competition, which is a big international figure skating event.
Recent Upgrades and Renovations
In 2021, the ShoWare Center received a big upgrade. About $5 million was spent to make the arena even better. A major part of this was a new scoreboard, which cost $800,000. This new scoreboard was ready for the 2021-22 hockey season.
Other improvements included a new cover for the ice when it's not being used. Concession stands, where you buy food and drinks, also got a fresh new look. The outdoor sign was improved, and old folding chairs were replaced. New kitchen equipment, stage curtains, and ice-making machines were also added. Smaller updates included new carpets in offices, a stronger power source for concerts, and repairs to the basketball court and fences. Forty new televisions were also installed in the private suites.
Fun Facts About the Arena
Arena Size and Capacity
- The arena covers about 150,000 square feet (about 14,000 square meters).
- The new scoreboard from 2021 is quite impressive. It has two long ribbon boards and four main screens. The main screens are about 18 feet 10 inches wide and 10 feet 8 inches tall.
- The ShoWare Center first opened on January 3, 2009, with a hockey game. The Seattle Thunderbirds played against the Everett Silvertips.
- The arena usually has 5,887 seats. However, special seats can be moved to make more room for concerts or other shows. This expands the capacity to 7,141 people.
- The venue hosts between 110 and 117 events each year. About 40 of these are Thunderbirds hockey games.
- A country music duo, Florida Georgia Line, had a huge concert here on December 14, 2013. They drew an audience of 7,129 people.
- The 2 millionth guest to visit the arena was celebrated on November 11, 2014.
Sports Highlights
- The very first goal scored in the arena's history was by Brenden Silvester of the Seattle Thunderbirds. This happened during the opening game on January 3, 2009.
- Greg Scott, also from the Seattle Thunderbirds, scored the first hat trick (three goals in one game) in the arena on February 6, 2009.
- The 2015-2016 hockey season set a record for attendance. An average of 4,792 people came to each game.
- The highest number of people at a single hockey game was 6,223. This record was set on May 12, 2017, during the WHL finals.
- The arena hosted its first professional basketball games during the 2018 JBA season.
- Many professional wrestling shows have taken place here. These include events from TNA Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and AEW.
- On October 2, 2021, the arena hosted a National Hockey League preseason game. The Seattle Kraken played against the Calgary Flames.
