Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center facts for kids
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| Former names | IMA Sports Arena (1969–2003) Perani Arena (2003–15) |
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| Address | 3501 Lapeer Rd Flint, MI 48503-4500 |
| Owner | IMS Hockey Corp. |
| Operator | Firland Management |
| Capacity | 4,421
Concerts
General admission: 6,469
In the round: 4,800 End stage: 4,567 Sports
Boxing: 5,109
Basketball: 4,421 Hockey: 4,365 Other
Circus: 4,821
Ice show: 3,535 Banquet/reception: 2,000 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1967 |
| Opened | October 1969 |
| Construction cost | $10 million ($87.8 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Tenants | |
| Flint Generals (IHL) (1969–85) Flint Spirits (IHL) (1985–90) Flint Bulldogs (CoHL) (1991–93) Flint Generals (CoHL/UHL/IHL) (1993–2010) Flint Flames (IFL) (2000) Flint Fuze (CBA) (2001–02) Flint Phantoms (CIFL) (2008) Michigan Warriors (NAHL) (2010–15) Flint Firebirds (OHL) (2015–present) Waza Flo (MASL) (2015–16) Flint Monarchs (GWBA) (2016–present) |
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The Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center is a cool place in Flint, Michigan. It's a big building where you can watch sports, enjoy concerts, and attend other fun events. It first opened its doors in 1969. Today, it's the proud home of the Flint Firebirds, a hockey team that plays in the Ontario Hockey League.
Contents
What's Inside the Event Center?
The main part of the center is a huge arena. It has a lot of space, about 29,280 square feet! This area can hold over 4,000 people for ice hockey games. For concerts, even more people can fit, up to 6,000. There's also standing room for about 400 more fans.
There's a second arena too, which is also quite big. Both arenas are often used for different events. You can find trade shows, exciting hockey games, and other sports here. The main arena is also a popular spot for big concerts.
The center was first called the IMA Sports Arena. IMA stands for Industrial Mutual Association. Later, it was named after Bob Perani. He owned a sports store called Perani's Hockey World. Bob Perani was a goalie for the Flint Generals hockey team for many years. His jersey number, 1, was even retired by the team.
Teams and Events at the Center
Current Teams and Events
Since 2015, the Flint Firebirds hockey team has called this arena home. They are part of the Ontario Hockey League. Before moving to Flint, this team was known as the Plymouth Whalers.
Many local high schools and colleges also use the arena. They hold their graduation ceremonies here. The center is also a regular stop for the famous Shrine Circus each year. Plus, the General RV Show is held at the Perani Arena annually.
Past Teams and Events
Over the years, many different teams have played at this arena.
- The Flint Generals hockey team played here from 1969 to 1985.
- The Flint Spirits hockey team played from 1985 to 1990.
- The Flint Bulldogs hockey team played from 1991 to 1993.
- The Flint Fuze basketball team played from 2001 to 2002.
- The Flint Flames indoor football team played for one season in 2000.
- Another version of the Flint Generals played here from 1993 to 2010.
- From 2010 to 2015, the Michigan Warriors hockey team played here.
- The Waza Flo soccer team played here from 2015 to 2016.
The Michigan Pirates football team also played some playoff games here. They hoped to move to Flint. After they stopped playing, the Flint Phantoms football team played here in 2008.
Images for kids
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Dort Financial Center, 2022
