Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
Encyclopedia
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (Spokane Arena) a multi-purpose arena
, located in Spokane, Washington
, USA.
It is home to the Spokane Chiefs
, of the WHL
and the Spokane Shock
, of the AFL.
, along with a need for a larger facility more than twice the coliseum's capacity, the Spokane City Council and Board of Spokane County Commissioners formed the Spokane Public Facilities District (SPFD)
to acquire, construct, own and operate sports and entertainment facilities with contiguous parking facilities. In 1990, the SPFD board members unanimously agreed on the following recommendations made by an economic feasibility/market study. The recommendations were:
Voters rejected the Spokane Arena four times in six years before agreeing to build it in 1991.
In the fall of that year, two ballot measures were put out to voters, and passed:
In the fall of 1991, another funding measure was put out to voters and was passed. It involved a 0.1% raise in the sales tax. The passage of all three measures completed the US$44.8 million financining needed to build the arena.
The Spokane Arena broke ground on March 5, 1993, and opened in September 1995.
The arena has a state-of-the-art audio and video system. It consists of a 15 feet (4.6 m) x 20 feet (6.1 m) Viacom Sports 12 mm LED display, which is capable of being used as two separate units. The video board has exceptional color reproduction and the best off-angle viewing available for any LED format. It can even be moved forward approximately 100 feet (30.5 m) and down to approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) off the arena floor. The arena also features a 350° color LED ribbon board, which is mounted on the fascia of the Spokane Arena bowl. It is capable of displaying text messages, animations, logos, scores and statistics.
Powered by Crown Amplifiers, the audio system is driven by Community RS880 speakers in the Arena bowl, Altec Lansing
satellite speakers for the upper seating areas, and Bose speakers serve the concourse, dressing rooms, and backstage hallways.
Large public areas are one of the greater features of the Spokane Arena. The arena floor is 32000 square feet (2,972.9 m²), and the 14 feet (4.3 m) high concourse is a spacious 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²). 16 luxury suites containing a total of 146 seats. In addition, there are six meeting rooms located at the Spokane Arena, totalling 10050 square feet (933.7 m²) of meeting space.
On the Events Level, there are five truck docks with 8 feet (2.4 m) x 10 feet (3 m) loading doors, one 8 feet (2.4 m) x 10 feet (3 m) drive-in door, and one 20 feet (6.1 m) x 24 feet (7.3 m) drive-in loading door, allowing large shows to load and unload eight trucks simultaneously. Trucks can load and unload unobstructed, directly into the marshalling area at the arena floor's west end. Backstage are three star dressing rooms, two promoter offices (located in the marshalling area), and seven team dressing rooms, as well as a dressing room for officials.
of the arena to over 14,000. There are currently no plans to expand the Spokane Arena, However, Local organizers are concerned the NCAA may tighten its criteria and require a true minimum of 12,000, with no allowance for seats lost due to tournament infrastructure. Also, with the Shock's recent move to the Arena Football League, the AFL may also require the expansion in the near future.
The expansion of the arena is currently estimated at around $6 million.
programs of Gonzaga University
and Washington State University
for at least one big matchup per year. Historically, the Bulldogs'
annual game with local rival Eastern Washington University
was played here, but the rivalry has gone dormant due to the rise of the Zags' program to major status in the early 2000s. Today, the visiting team at Spokane Arena is generally another national power, such as Memphis
in 2007.
It also hosted the Washington Class B state high school basketball tournament annually until 2006. The tournament came back to the arena in 2007, but as the Class 2B tournament. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
had split the B classification into 1B and 2B. The Yakima SunDome
in Yakima, Washington
hosts the 1B tournament. The Class 1B tournament returned in 2011 when the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
changed the state tournament format.
Notably, this was the reason why the West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament had never been in Spokane before 2006; the Class B and WCC tournaments clash every year, and Gonzaga's arena at that time
was too small to host the WCC tournament. In 2004, Gonzaga opened a new basketball arena, the McCarthey Athletic Center
, which enabled it to enter the WCC tournament rotation.
The arena has also hosted several NCAA Division I basketball tournament first- and second-round games for both men and women with Washington State University
being the host school. In 2008
and 2011
, it was a women's regional site. The 2011 regional was notable for the presence of Gonzaga, who became the lowest-seeded team ever to make a regional final in the women's tournament.
Spokane landed another NCAA Men's basketball first and second round in 2010. It was the 3rd time in the same decade that the city has catered to this event. (2003 and 2007 being the others.)
event; it was one of six wins for Cody Hart in 1999, the same year he became a PBR World Champion.
, by over 30,000 attendees.
On May 5, 2008, it was announced that Spokane would once again host the U.S. Figure Skating Championships leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Spokane Arena was the sole venue for the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
The Spokane Arena successfully hosted the 2010 US Figure Skating Championships from January 15–24, 2010 and broke its own attendance record with 158,170 tickets sold during the 10-day event.
, of the Arena Football League, play their home games at the arena.
, family shows and other events.
shows, concerts and much more. And every year the arena is home to Spokane's band and strings spectacular featuring the areas band and strings groups grades 5-6 from all schools.
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 in Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, USA.
It is home to the Spokane Chiefs
Spokane Chiefs
The Spokane Chiefs are a major junior ice hockey team that plays in the Western Hockey League based out of Spokane, Washington. The team plays its home games at the Spokane Arena. Their uniforms are similar to those of the NHL's Montreal Canadiens. Spokane consistently ranks in the top 10 in the...
, of the WHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
and the Spokane Shock
Spokane Shock
The Spokane Shock is a professional arena football team of the Arena Football League from Spokane, Washington, USA. They play their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena...
, of the AFL.
Construction
With an aging Spokane ColiseumSpokane Coliseum
Spokane Coliseum was an indoor arena, located in Spokane, Washington. It opened in 1954 and had a capacity of 5,400.It was host to a number of teams, including the Spokane Chiefs, of the WHL...
, along with a need for a larger facility more than twice the coliseum's capacity, the Spokane City Council and Board of Spokane County Commissioners formed the Spokane Public Facilities District (SPFD)
Spokane Public Facilities District
The Spokane Public Facilities District is the organization in Spokane, Washington that manages the Spokane Arena and Spokane Center, which consists of the Spokane Convention Center and the INB Performing Arts Center. It was created in 1989 by the Washington State Legislature to create a plan to...
to acquire, construct, own and operate sports and entertainment facilities with contiguous parking facilities. In 1990, the SPFD board members unanimously agreed on the following recommendations made by an economic feasibility/market study. The recommendations were:
- To build an arena opposed to a domed stadium
- An arena that could seat 12,000 to 14,000 with expansion capabilities
- To build the new arena on city-owned land located adjacent to the old coliseum with on-site parking for 2,000 automobiles
Voters rejected the Spokane Arena four times in six years before agreeing to build it in 1991.
In the fall of that year, two ballot measures were put out to voters, and passed:
- One, to publicly finance the construction of the arena through a property tax bond issue worth US$38 million
- Two, a measure to validate the SPFD. Validation was important, because it would allow the district to implement a 2% hotel tax to further fund construction
In the fall of 1991, another funding measure was put out to voters and was passed. It involved a 0.1% raise in the sales tax. The passage of all three measures completed the US$44.8 million financining needed to build the arena.
The Spokane Arena broke ground on March 5, 1993, and opened in September 1995.
Building facts
The Spokane Arena has a capacity for:- 12,638 for end-stage concerts
- 12,494 for center-stage shows
- 12,210 for basketball
- 10,759 for ice hockey
- 10,771 for arena football
- 6,951 for half-house shows
The arena has a state-of-the-art audio and video system. It consists of a 15 feet (4.6 m) x 20 feet (6.1 m) Viacom Sports 12 mm LED display, which is capable of being used as two separate units. The video board has exceptional color reproduction and the best off-angle viewing available for any LED format. It can even be moved forward approximately 100 feet (30.5 m) and down to approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) off the arena floor. The arena also features a 350° color LED ribbon board, which is mounted on the fascia of the Spokane Arena bowl. It is capable of displaying text messages, animations, logos, scores and statistics.
Powered by Crown Amplifiers, the audio system is driven by Community RS880 speakers in the Arena bowl, Altec Lansing
Altec Lansing
Altec Lansing is a line of professional, home, automotive, computer, and multimedia audio products first developed in 1936. They were used in many studios as monitor speakers...
satellite speakers for the upper seating areas, and Bose speakers serve the concourse, dressing rooms, and backstage hallways.
Large public areas are one of the greater features of the Spokane Arena. The arena floor is 32000 square feet (2,972.9 m²), and the 14 feet (4.3 m) high concourse is a spacious 35000 square feet (3,251.6 m²). 16 luxury suites containing a total of 146 seats. In addition, there are six meeting rooms located at the Spokane Arena, totalling 10050 square feet (933.7 m²) of meeting space.
On the Events Level, there are five truck docks with 8 feet (2.4 m) x 10 feet (3 m) loading doors, one 8 feet (2.4 m) x 10 feet (3 m) drive-in door, and one 20 feet (6.1 m) x 24 feet (7.3 m) drive-in loading door, allowing large shows to load and unload eight trucks simultaneously. Trucks can load and unload unobstructed, directly into the marshalling area at the arena floor's west end. Backstage are three star dressing rooms, two promoter offices (located in the marshalling area), and seven team dressing rooms, as well as a dressing room for officials.
Future
Incorporated into its original design was an area designated for future expansion of the arena. Expansion of the upper bowl would raise the seating capacitySeating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of the arena to over 14,000. There are currently no plans to expand the Spokane Arena, However, Local organizers are concerned the NCAA may tighten its criteria and require a true minimum of 12,000, with no allowance for seats lost due to tournament infrastructure. Also, with the Shock's recent move to the Arena Football League, the AFL may also require the expansion in the near future.
The expansion of the arena is currently estimated at around $6 million.
Basketball
Spokane Arena, in addition to its duties as being the host of Chiefs and Shock games, also serves as a secondary home for the men's basketballBasketball
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...
programs of Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University
Gonzaga University is a private Roman Catholic university located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Founded in 1887 by the Society of Jesus, it is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is named after the young Jesuit saint, Aloysius Gonzaga...
and Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
for at least one big matchup per year. Historically, the Bulldogs'
Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball
The Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
annual game with local rival Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University
Eastern Washington University is an American public, coeducational university located in Cheney, Washington.Founded in 1882, the university is academically divided into four colleges: Arts and Letters; Business and Public Administration; Science, Health and Engineering; and Social & Behavioral...
was played here, but the rivalry has gone dormant due to the rise of the Zags' program to major status in the early 2000s. Today, the visiting team at Spokane Arena is generally another national power, such as Memphis
Memphis Tigers basketball
The Memphis Tigers men's basketball team represents the University of Memphis in NCAA Division I men's college basketball. The Tigers compete in Conference USA, in which they have won six regular season and four conference tournament championships. As of 2011, the Tigers have the 29th highest...
in 2007.
It also hosted the Washington Class B state high school basketball tournament annually until 2006. The tournament came back to the arena in 2007, but as the Class 2B tournament. The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington...
had split the B classification into 1B and 2B. The Yakima SunDome
Yakima SunDome
The Yakima SunDome is a 6,195 seat multi-purpose arena in Yakima, Washington. It was built in 1990, on the Central Washington State Fairgrounds and often serves as an exhibit hall during the fair. Bea Noel of Yakima developed the first vision of building a multi purpose facility on the Yakima Fair...
in Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
hosts the 1B tournament. The Class 1B tournament returned in 2011 when the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
Washington Interscholastic Activities Association
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington...
changed the state tournament format.
Notably, this was the reason why the West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament had never been in Spokane before 2006; the Class B and WCC tournaments clash every year, and Gonzaga's arena at that time
Charlotte Y. Martin Centre
Charlotte Y. Martin Centre is an athletics center on the campus of Gonzaga University housing a 4,000 seat multi-purpose arena in Spokane, Washington. It opened on December 3, 1965 as the John F. Kennedy Memorial Pavilion, with a capacity of approximately 2,000 patrons...
was too small to host the WCC tournament. In 2004, Gonzaga opened a new basketball arena, the McCarthey Athletic Center
McCarthey Athletic Center
McCarthey Athletic Center or "MAC" is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Spokane, Washington. The arena opened in 2004. It is home to the Gonzaga University Bulldogs basketball program, and is often called "The New Kennel". This nickname was inherited from the school's former basketball arena,...
, which enabled it to enter the WCC tournament rotation.
The arena has also hosted several NCAA Division I basketball tournament first- and second-round games for both men and women with Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
being the host school. In 2008
2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 teams playing in a single-elimination tournament to determine the 2007–08 national champion of women's NCAA Division I college basketball. It commenced on March 22, 2008, and concluded when the University of Tennessee Lady...
and 2011
2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 19, 2011 and concluded on April 5, 2011. The Texas A&M Aggies won the championship....
, it was a women's regional site. The 2011 regional was notable for the presence of Gonzaga, who became the lowest-seeded team ever to make a regional final in the women's tournament.
Spokane landed another NCAA Men's basketball first and second round in 2010. It was the 3rd time in the same decade that the city has catered to this event. (2003 and 2007 being the others.)
Bull riding
In 1999, the PBR made a stop in Spokane Arena for a Bud Light CupBuilt Ford Tough Series
The Built Ford Tough Series is the "major league" tour of the PBR competitions. It is a 30-city event series culminating in the PBR World Finals every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. The top 45 riders of the PBR compete in the BFTS with the rankings determined by points and money won...
event; it was one of six wins for Cody Hart in 1999, the same year he became a PBR World Champion.
Figure skating
In January 2007, the Spokane Arena was put in the national spotlight once again. It was one of two facilities to host the 2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, the other being the Group Health Exhibit Hall at the Spokane Convention Center several blocks away. The arena, as well as the city received many rave reviews and also shattered the previous attendance record for the event, previously held by Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, by over 30,000 attendees.
On May 5, 2008, it was announced that Spokane would once again host the U.S. Figure Skating Championships leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Spokane Arena was the sole venue for the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
The Spokane Arena successfully hosted the 2010 US Figure Skating Championships from January 15–24, 2010 and broke its own attendance record with 158,170 tickets sold during the 10-day event.
Football
The Spokane ShockSpokane Shock
The Spokane Shock is a professional arena football team of the Arena Football League from Spokane, Washington, USA. They play their home games at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena...
, of the Arena Football League, play their home games at the arena.
Concerts at Star Theater
The Star Theater is a 5,900-seat theater, within Spokane Arena, used for theater concerts, BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, family shows and other events.
Other events
Numerous other activities have taken place at the Spokane Arena including circuses, large conferences, monster truckMonster truck
A monster truck is a pickup truck, typically styled after pickup trucks' bodies, modified or purposely built with extremely large wheels and suspension...
shows, concerts and much more. And every year the arena is home to Spokane's band and strings spectacular featuring the areas band and strings groups grades 5-6 from all schools.
Notable events hosted
- Gonzaga and Washington State played the first collegiate basketball game on November 24, 1995. Washington State University 67 Gonzaga 62 in overtime.
- 1995 - San Jose SharksSan Jose SharksThe San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
vs. Vancouver CanucksVancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
(National Hockey League exhibition game) - 1996 - Wrangler Pro Rodeo Classic
- 1996 - U.S.A. Motorsports Spectacular
- 1996 - Stars On IceStars on IceStars on Ice is a touring figure skating show produced by IMG. It was originally conceived in 1986 as a vehicle for IMG client Scott Hamilton, who had been released from his contract with Ice Capades, after being told that male skaters do not sell tickets...
- 1997 - The Harlem GlobetrottersHarlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
- 1997 - Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
All-Star Game - 1997 - NCAA Volleyball Final Four
- 1998 - Stars on Ice
- 1998 - Memorial Cup1998 Memorial CupThe 1998 Memorial Cup occurred May 9-17 at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington. Participating teams were the host Spokane Chiefs and the winners of the Ontario Hockey League, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League which were the Guelph Storm, Val-d'Or...
- 1998 - WWE Monday Night Raw
- 2002 - 2002 Skate America figure skating competition
- 2003 - 2003 NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament
- 2003 - WWE VelocityWWE VelocityWWE Velocity was a professional wrestling television program produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It replaced two syndicated WWE shows, Jakked/Metal. Once a weekly Saturday night show on Spike TV and on Sky Sports 2 in the UK on Sunday mornings, Velocity became a webcast from 2005 to 2006...
and WWE Smackdown held two nights after the pay-per-view WrestleMania XIXWrestleMania XIXWrestleMania XIX was the nineteenth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment . It took place on March 30, 2003 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The event was the first WrestleMania held in the state of Washington, and the first... - 2004 - WWE Velocity and Smackdown
- 2007 - U.S. Figure Skating Championships
- 2007 - NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
- 2008 - ECW and WWE Friday Night SmackDown (both held on same night)
- 2009 - WWE RawWWE RAWWWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
and ECW held one night after the pay-per-view No Way OutNo Way Out (2009)No Way Out was a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on February 15, 2009 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. It was the 11th and final event under the No Way Out name and featured talent from the Raw, SmackDown and ECW brands...
. - 2010 - U.S. Figure Skating Championships
- 2010 - 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
- 2010- Brad Paisley's Water Tour
- 2010 - ArenaBowl XXIIIArenaBowl XXIIINAPA Auto Parts ArenaBowl XXIII was an arena football game between the National Conference champion, Spokane Shock and the American Conference Champion, Tampa Bay Storm. The Spokane Shock won the game successfully defending ArenaCup X of the former af2...
- 2010 - Disney On IceDisney on IceDisney On Ice is a touring ice show produced by Feld Entertainment under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at children, the shows feature figure skaters dressed as Disney cartoon characters in performances that each derive their music and plot from elements collected from...
- 2011 - Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
- 2010 - PBR Classic
- 2011 - 2011 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Regionals
- May 24 2011 - WWE SmackDown will be televised world wide on May 27 2011.
- June 2011 - KissKISS (band)Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
World famous band on tour.