Simmons Bank Arena facts for kids
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| Former names | Alltel Arena (1999–2009) Verizon Arena (2009–2019) |
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| Location | 1 Simmons Bank Arena Drive North Little Rock, Arkansas 72114 |
| Public transit |
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| Owner | Pulaski County Multi-Purpose Civic Center Facilities Board |
| Operator | Pulaski County Multi-Purpose Civic Center Facilities Board |
| Capacity | Basketball: 18,000 Hockey: 17,000 Arena Football: 16,000 |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 22, 1997 |
| Opened | October 2, 1999 |
| Construction cost | $80 million ($141 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | Civic Center Design Team (CCDT): Burt Taggart & Associates, Architects/Engineers, The Wilcox Group, Garver & Garver Engineering and Rosser International of Atlanta |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Engineers PC |
| General contractor | Turner/Vratsinas |
| Tenants | |
| Arkansas–Little Rock Trojans (NCAA) (1999–2005) Arkansas RiverBlades (ECHL) (1999–2003) Arkansas Twisters (AF2) (2000–2009) Arkansas RimRockers (ABA/NBA D-League) (2004–2007) |
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Simmons Bank Arena is a huge building in North Little Rock, Arkansas. It's a place where many different events happen, like sports games and concerts. The arena can hold up to 18,000 people for basketball games! It opened in October 1999 and is a major entertainment spot for the area.
This arena has had a few different names over the years. It was first called Alltel Arena from 1999 to 2009. Then, it became Verizon Arena from 2009 to 2019. Now, it's known as Simmons Bank Arena.
Many sports teams have played here. The Little Rock Trojans college basketball team used to play their home games at the arena. Other teams like the Arkansas RiverBlades (an ice hockey team), the Arkansas RimRockers (a basketball team), and the Arkansas Twisters (an arena football team) also called this arena home. Besides sports, you can see concerts, rodeos, auto racing, and even big shows here.
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How the Arena Was Built
The idea for the arena started in 1995. People in Pulaski County, Arkansas voted to add a small sales tax for one year. This tax helped pay for the arena, expand a convention center, and fix a bridge.
Funding the Project
Building the arena cost about $80 million. The money came from a few places:
- The sales tax approved by voters.
- A $20 million contribution from the State of Arkansas.
- $17 million from private companies and people.
- $7 million from a company called Alltel Corporation.
Because of all this support, the arena was fully paid for when it opened in 1999. This meant there was no public debt for its construction.
Choosing the Location
Officials looked at two possible spots in North Little Rock for the arena. They chose a larger area that was about 19.5 acres. This land was bought for $3.7 million. Some of the land was bought using a process called eminent domain, which means the government can buy private land for public use, even if the owners don't want to sell.
The other site that was considered later became Dickey–Stephens Park, a baseball stadium for the Arkansas Travelers team.
Exciting Events and History
Simmons Bank Arena has hosted many important and fun events over the years. It's a popular place for big sports tournaments and famous concerts.
Major Sports Tournaments
The arena has been a key location for college sports:
- It hosted the Southeastern Conference (SEC) women's basketball tournament in 2003, 2006, and 2009. In 2003, it set a record for attendance with over 43,000 people!
- The Sun Belt Conference men's basketball tournament was held here in 2000.
- In March 2008, parts of the first and second rounds of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament took place at the arena.
- The SEC Gymnastics Championships were also held here in 2007.
Concerts and Shows
The arena is a fantastic place for concerts, with seating for 15,000 to 18,000 fans. It has a large portable stage for performers.
- Famous musician Bruce Springsteen played a concert here in March 2000. He even played a rare song called "Mary Queen of Arkansas" because of the arena's location.
- The arena hosted the American Idols LIVE! Tour concerts in 2004, 2007, and 2009, featuring popular singers from the TV show.
- In May 2013, the famous band Fleetwood Mac performed. Former President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton were surprise guests! The band even dedicated their song "Don't Stop" to them, which was Bill Clinton's campaign song.
- In 2016, the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions visited the arena.
Who Manages the Arena?
The Simmons Bank Arena is owned by the Multi-Purpose Civic Center Facilities Board for Pulaski County. This board also operates the arena. The building was designed by a team of architects and engineers, including Burt Taggart & Associates and Rosser International.
