The American Bank Center is an entertainment complex located in Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...

. The complex consists of an auditorium

Auditorium

An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...

 convention center

Convention center

A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...

 and arena

Arena

An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...

. The facility hosts numerous conventions, trade shows, exhibitions, live performances and sporting events. It is home to the Corpus Christi IceRays

Corpus Christi IceRays

The Corpus Christi IceRays are a Junior A ice hockey team playing in the North American Hockey League . The IceRays are based in Corpus Christi, Texas and play in the North American Hockey League's South Division. The "IceRays" moniker derives from the many different species of stingrays who...

 Tier II Jr. A

Junior ice hockey

Junior hockey is a catch-all term used to describe various levels of ice hockey competition for players generally between 16 and 20 years of age...

 ice hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

 team, Corpus Christi Hammerheads

Corpus Christi Hammerheads

The Corpus Christi Hammerheads are a professional indoor football team from Corpus Christi, Texas. They are a member of the Lone Star Football League.-History:The Hammerheads were a charter member of the Intense Football League...

 indoor football Team, and the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi

Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi is a state university located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, on Ward Island in Oso Bay. The university is part of the Texas A&M University System...

 Islanders Men's and Women's NCAA Basketball

College basketball

College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 teams.

It is owned by the city of Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...

 and managed by SMG. The in-house catering company is Centerplate

Centerplate

Centerplate, Inc. is a food vending corporation in Spartanburg, SC that operates in North America, primarily at sports arenas.Centerplate was formerly known as Volume Services America, Inc., and was originally a division of The Flagstar Companies. In 1995, Flagstar, which was controlled by private...

, a company that offers special event consulting and custom catering for food and beverage requirements. In 2007 the arena was the site for a controversial event in the WWE, As the same day as the scheduled show, superstar Chris Benoit

Chris Benoit

Christopher Michael "Chris" Benoit was a Canadian professional wrestler whose career and life ended in a murder–suicide...

 died. The show was canceled and fans received a full refund for their tickets, a definite rare occurrence for the company.

Facilities

Tenants of arena
Texas A&M–Corpus Christi Islanders Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi is a state university located in Corpus Christi, Texas, United States, on Ward Island in Oso Bay. The university is part of the Texas A&M University System...	NCAA National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...	2004-Present
Corpus Christi IceRays Corpus Christi IceRays The Corpus Christi IceRays are a Junior A ice hockey team playing in the North American Hockey League . The IceRays are based in Corpus Christi, Texas and play in the North American Hockey League's South Division. The "IceRays" moniker derives from the many different species of stingrays who...	AF2 AF2 AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...	2010-Present
Corpus Christi Hammerheads Corpus Christi Hammerheads The Corpus Christi Hammerheads are a professional indoor football team from Corpus Christi, Texas. They are a member of the Lone Star Football League.-History:The Hammerheads were a charter member of the Intense Football League...	LSFL Lone Star Football League The Lone Star Football League is a regional professional indoor football league set to begin its inaugural season in 2012. All six of the LSFL's charter teams are based in the state of Texas, with five teams coming from the Southern Indoor Football League and two from the Indoor Football...	2005-2006 2010-Present
Corpus Christi Sharks Corpus Christi Sharks The Corpus Christi Sharks were a 2007 expansion member of the af2. They played their home games at the American Bank Center. Michael Trigg was the team's head coach. Trigg previously was a head coach in the Arena Football League with the Milwaukee Mustangs, Grand Rapids Rampage and Philadelphia...	NAHL North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...	2007-2009

American Bank Center Arena

• The American Bank Center Arena is an indoor arena located adjacent to the American Bank Center Convention Center. The construction of the arena was a joint effort by Thompson Ventulett Stainback & Associates, Arquitectonica and Gignac & Associates. The venue broke ground on November 3, 2002 and was completed in October 2004. Unique to the area is it's split-tiered seating system design. This allows the large venue to have the illusion of a theatre setting. The maximum capacity of the arena is 10,000 for sporting events and concerts. The cost of the project was over $49 million dollars.

Selena Auditorium

• The Selena Auditorium opened in 1979, known as the "Bayfront Plaza Auditorium". The venue was the filming location of The Johnny Canales Show
  Johnny Canales
  Johnny Canales is a former Tejano singer, and was host of the popular show titled "The Johnny Canales Show". Canales is credited with one of the first live performances of Selena by her thirteenth birthday. He took Selena y Los Dinos for their first concerts in Mexico...
  
  . In 1996 the venue was renamed in commemoration of notable resident, Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
  Selena
  Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...
  
  . It was renovated in 2004 to connected the property to the other buildings in the complex. The maximum capacity is 2,500. The venue is noted for its acoustics and for being "one of the most attended venues for entertainment in the Texas Coastal Bend area".

American Bank Center Convention Center

• The American Bank Center Convention Center opening in the 1970s and was known as the "Bayfront Plaza Convention Center" until November 2004. The convention center consists of five exhibits halls, two ballrooms and 21 meeting rooms. The main ballroom is called the "Henry Garrett Ballroom". The convention center was renovated in November 2004.