The Savannah Civic Center is a 9,600-seat multi-purpose 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...

 located on Montgomery Street in Savannah

Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...

, Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

. The facility has two venues: The Martin Luther King Arena and the Johnny Mercer Theater. The arena seats 3,500 to 9,600 attendees, depending on the event while the theater seats up to 2,524 concert- or theater-goers and features one of the largest proscenium arches in the southeastern United States. The facility also includes a Grand Ballroom and East and West Promenades each with a capacity of 400.

Each year, the Savannah Civic Center hosts the Savannah Tire Hockey Classic, which awards the Thrasher Cup and numerous meetings are held in the building's meeting wings.

History

Built in 1974, the Savannah Civic Center was home to the Savannah Bees and the Continental Basketball Association

Continental Basketball Association

The Continental Basketball Association was a professional men's basketball league in the United States, which has been on hiatus since the 2009 season.- History :...

's Savannah Spirits

Savannah Spirits

The Savannah Spirits were a professional basketball team that played for two years in the Continental Basketball Association from 1986 to 1988, amassing a total regular season record of 42 wins and 60 losses for a total of 306.5 points. The Spirits did not qualify for the postseason in their first...

 basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 teams. The MLK arena was the host venue of the 1986-87 Big South Conference

Big South Conference

The Big South Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NCAA's Division I. The conference's football teams are part of the Football Championship Subdivision...

's men's basketball tournament.