WFCU Centre
Encyclopedia
The WFCU Centre is a sports-entertainment centre in Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It opened on December 11, 2008, and it is named after the Windsor Family Credit Union
Windsor Family Credit Union
The Windsor Family Credit Union is a credit union located in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is noted for having won naming rights in 2006 to the new Windsor Spitfires arena on the east end of Windsor, WFCU Centre....

, a local financial institution. It is located in the east end of the city, northeast of the intersection of Tecumseh and Lauzon Roads.

The WFCU Centre was built, in part, to be the new home of the city's Ontario Hockey League
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....

 team, the Windsor Spitfires
Windsor Spitfires
The Windsor Spitfires are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The team is based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The franchise was granted for the 1975–76 season and revived a previous OHA Jr. A Spitfires team which moved to become the Hamilton Tiger Cubs in 1953.-History:The...

, replacing the 84-year-old Windsor Arena
Windsor Arena
Windsor Arena is an indoor arena located in Windsor, Ontario. Its capacity is approximately 4,400 with standing room. The arena's ice is an asymmetrical by or...

.

Ownership and management

The WFCU Centre is owned by the City of Windsor. City council approved the project on October 4, 2006, and the groundbreaking
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...

 ceremony took place on January 22, 2007. The WFCU Centre is managed by Global Spectrum, a Philadelphia-based company, which also operates more than 100 other arenas, stadiums and convention centres.

Seating and ticketing

Approximate capacities:
  • 6,500 - Hockey
  • 6,000 - End stage concert
  • 3,000 – Small concert stage
  • 2,100 - Theatre mode
  • 7,500 - Centre stage concert


In addition to the standard end stage configuration for large concerts, the arena can be set up to accommodate touring Broadway shows or smaller concerts in its theatre mode. The theatre mode features a small, intimate atmosphere.

The centre features 35 luxury suites and more than 600 club seats.

The WFCU Centre complies with the Ontarians with Disabilities Act
Ontarians with Disabilities Act
The Ontarians with Disabilities Act is the short title of the Ontario Government's Bill 125 - "An Act to improve the identification, removal and prevention of barriers faced by persons with disabilities and to make related amendments to other Acts". The Act received Royal Assent on 14 December 2001...

.

The WFCU Centre uses an in-house system, provided by New Era Tickets
New Era Tickets
New Era Tickets is an entertainment ticketing company located in Exton, Pennsylvania . The company provides full-service ticketing and fan marketing solutions for public assembly facilities, sports organizations, and entertainment companies....

.

History

The WFCU Centre was built at a cost of approximately $71 million by the Windsor, Ontario-based construction company, PCR Contractors. The land was purchased from London, Ontario
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...

 developer Farhi Holdings Corporation. The construction of this sports-entertainment centre was decided upon as a part of the city government’s overall effort to add excitement to the economy. As part of that effort, Windsor city council committed to building the centre, and agreed to fund most of the cost.

During the initial stages of planning, several other committees and companies proposed building arenas and venues in the area, including a privately owned skating arena, as well as proposed a relocation of the Windsor Raceway Slots to Tecumseh, Ontario
Tecumseh, Ontario
Tecumseh is a town on Lake St. Clair east of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It has a population of just over 24,000.Tecumseh enjoys long summers and mild winters...

, owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation , known for corporate branding purposes simply as OLG since 2006, is a Crown Corporation of the Government of Ontario, Canada. It is responsible for the province's lotteries, charity and Aboriginal casinos, commercial casinos, and slot machines at...

. That project was known as Ice Track.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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