Spokane Arena facts for kids
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 Spokane Arena
Location in Spokane riverfront area
Spokane Arena
Location in Greater Spokane area
Spokane Arena
Location in Washington (state)
Spokane Arena
Location in the United States
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| Location | 720 W. Mallon Avenue Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 47°39′58″N 117°25′23″W / 47.666°N 117.423°W |
| Owner | Spokane Public Facilities District |
| Operator | Spokane Public Facilities District |
| Capacity | End Stage concert: 12,638 Basketball: 12,210 Hockey: 10,366 Indoor football: 10,771 Expansion possibilities: 14,000+ |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 5, 1993 |
| Opened | September 10, 1995 30 years ago |
| Construction cost | $62.6 million ($120 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | ALSC Architects Ellerbe Becket |
| General contractor | Garco Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Spokane Chiefs (WHL) (1995–present) Spokane Shock (af2/AFL/IFL) (2006–2015, 2021–) |
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The Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, often called Spokane Arena, is a large building in Spokane, Washington. It's a place where many different events happen. It is the home for two sports teams: the Spokane Shock (who play indoor football) and the Spokane Chiefs (who play ice hockey).
About the Arena
How the Arena Was Built
Before the Spokane Arena, there was an older building called the Spokane Coliseum. It was getting old and too small. People in Spokane needed a bigger and more modern place for sports and shows.
So, in 1990, a group called the Spokane Public Facilities District (SPFD) was created. Their job was to build and run new sports and entertainment places. They decided to build a new arena that could hold 12,000 to 14,000 people. They also wanted it to have room to grow even bigger. The best spot for it was next to the old coliseum, with plenty of parking.
It took a few tries for people to agree to build the arena. Voters said "no" four times over six years! But in 1991, they finally said "yes." They voted to use public money to build it. This money came from a property tax and a special hotel tax. Another vote added a small sales tax to help pay for it. All together, these votes raised about $44.8 million for the arena.
Construction started on March 5, 1993. Two years later, the Spokane Arena officially opened its doors in September 1995.
Cool Facts About the Building
The Spokane Arena can hold different numbers of people depending on the event:
- For concerts with a stage at one end: 12,638 people.
- For shows with a stage in the middle: 12,494 people.
- For basketball games: 12,210 people.
- For indoor football games: 10,771 people.
- For ice hockey games: 10,366 people.
The arena has a really advanced sound and video system. It has a huge video screen that is about 15 feet tall and 20 feet wide. This screen can show amazing colors and can even be moved closer to the floor for different events. There's also a long, colorful LED screen that wraps almost all the way around the arena. It can show messages, animations, and scores.
The sound system uses powerful speakers to make sure everyone can hear clearly. There are speakers in the main seating area, and smaller speakers in the upper sections and hallways.
The Spokane Arena has lots of space for people to walk around. The main floor is very large, and the concourse (the area where you walk around to get to your seats) is also very wide. There are 16 special luxury suites, which are like private rooms with great views. The arena also has six meeting rooms for different gatherings.
For big shows, the arena has special loading docks. This allows many trucks to unload equipment at the same time. There are also dressing rooms for performers and teams.
Future Plans for the Arena
When the Spokane Arena was first designed, they planned for it to be able to grow. There's a special area where more seats could be added to the upper level. This would make the arena hold over 15,000 people.
In 2012, voters approved a plan to add 750 more seats to the arena. This was part of a bigger project to improve the Convention Center. Adding even more seats and a new scoreboard would cost more money, but it's not yet decided if the arena will be expanded to its maximum size.
Events at the Arena
Sports Events
Basketball Games
The Spokane Arena is a busy place for basketball. It's often used by the men's basketball teams from Gonzaga University and Washington State University. These teams have played many games here over the years. Sometimes, they even play against each other at the arena!
The arena has also hosted parts of the NCAA Division I basketball tournaments several times. These are big national college basketball tournaments. It has also hosted women's regional tournaments for the NCAA.
Bull Riding Shows
In 1999, the arena hosted a professional bull riding event. It was a big win for a bull rider named Cody Hart, who later became a world champion.
Figure Skating Competitions
The Spokane Arena has been a big stage for figure skating. In 2007, it hosted the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The event was a huge success and broke attendance records! It hosted the championships again in 2010, right before the Winter Olympics. The arena broke its own attendance record that year, with over 158,000 tickets sold.
In 2016, the arena also hosted the first-ever Team Challenge Cup. This was a unique event where figure skaters from North America, Europe, and Asia competed in teams. Team North America won!
Football Games
The Spokane Shock indoor football team played at the arena from 2006 to 2015. They even hosted their championship game, ArenaBowl XXIII, here in 2010. After that, a new team called the Spokane Empire played indoor football at the arena for a couple of years.
Ice Hockey Games
The Spokane Chiefs ice hockey team plays all their home games at the Spokane Arena. They are a popular team in the Western Hockey League.
Concerts at Star Theatre
The arena can be set up as a smaller concert hall called the Star Theatre. This setup has about 5,900 seats. It's used for concerts, Broadway shows, and family events. This makes the arena flexible for different types of performances.
Other Fun Events
Many other exciting things happen at the Spokane Arena. These include circuses, big conferences, loud monster truck shows, and many concerts. Every year, local schools also hold a special band and strings concert for students in grades 5-6. The arena has also hosted professional wrestling shows.
Famous Events Hosted Here
Here are some notable events that have taken place at the Spokane Arena:
- The first college basketball game was played here on November 24, 1995.
- In 1996, it hosted the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials.
- Many famous musicians have performed concerts, including Phish (1996), Kid Rock (2004), Taylor Swift (2009), Brad Paisley (2010), Elton John (2011), Kiss (2011), Pearl Jam (2013), Fleetwood Mac (2014), Mötley Crüe (2014), Godsmack and Shinedown (2018), and Metallica (2018).
- It hosted the Western Hockey League All-Star Game in 1997.
- The 1998 Memorial Cup (a big ice hockey championship) was held here.
- It has hosted WWE wrestling shows like Raw is War and SmackDown!
- The 2002 Skate America figure skating competition took place here.
- The 2010 ArenaBowl XXIII championship game was played at the arena.
- In 2016, it hosted the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions.
| Events and Tenants | ||
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| Preceded by Spokane Coliseum |
Home of the Spokane Chiefs 1995 – present |
Succeeded by Current |
| Preceded by New Orleans Arena |
Host of the ArenaBowl ArenaBowl XXIII |
Succeeded by US Airways Center |
Images for kids
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Arena football configuration in 2013
