{jathumbnail off} R. Crosby Kemper Jr. and his family are saying what many in Kansas City have been arguing: tear down Kemper Arena and replace it with a facility more suited for the American Royal show. It’s especially telling when Kemper makes the argument: he donated the land and money way back in 1974 to […]
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Civic Arena falling down
{jathumbnail off} Sad day in the arena world: Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena, one of the most unique facilities ever built, is being demolished after an appeals court refused to preserve iconic the structure. Demolition began this morning at 6 a.m., with a backhoe taking down the concrete interior of the arena. There will not be any […]
Celebrating Hersheypark Arena
Many thought Milton Hershey nuts when he commissioned a 7,000-seat arena in a town of 2,000. But over the years Hersheypark Arena has been a surprisingly important venue, hosting sporting events and big concerts. Opening in 1936, the former Hershey Sports Arena hosted Hershey Bears (AHL) games through 2002, when the team moves to Giant […]
Taking down Amway Arena: Green rules
When the city takes down Amway Arena, the former home of the Orlando Magic (NBA), it will done over a period of several months, with the “disassembly” performed in an environmentally sensitive manner. The arena, made obsolete when Amway Center opened, is slated to be torn down before the end of the year, according to […]
Final days for Kemper Arena? Probably not
With American Royal Rodeo moving to downtown’s Sprint Center, the future of Kemper Arena suddenly becomes very much in doubt after losing its biggest event. When Sprint Center opened, the argument by city officials was that the market was big enough for two arenas, especially with American Royal anchoring the Kemper Arena schedule. It’s a […]
Pittsburgh awards demolition contract for Civic Arena
{jathumbnail off} Despite a federal lawsuit arguing Civic Arena should be saved, Pittsburgh’s Sports & Exhibition Authority is moving ahead with razing of the historic structure and awarded a $2.9-million bid for demolition. Noralco Corp. of Penn Hills was awarded the contract to tear down the former home of the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) and certainly […]
Pittsburgh chooses to tear down Igloo, drawing lawsuit
{jathumbnail off} After the Pittsburgh City Council voted to tear down historic Civic Arena, Preservation Pittsburgh filed suit in federal court, arguing that preservation guidelines were not followed during consideration of that action. Despite efforts by Preservation Pittsburgh to identify alternative uses for the arena now that the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL) moved to Consol Energy […]
Future of Civic Arena still under debate
{jathumbnail off} The fate of Civic Arena, the landmark arena in Pittsburgh, is still under debate, as the Pittsburgh Historic Review Commission continues to debate over whether to grant it landmark status. The commission has already given preliminary approval for landmark status, meaning the City-Allegheny Sports & Exhibition Authority cannot tear down the facility to […]
LA considers scrapping Sports Arena
The Sports Arena, never a beloved fixture on the Los Angeles sporting scene, could be torn down to make way for a multuse outdoor space/amphitheater or a new 22,000-seat soccer stadium, as the lack of a main tenant for the economically obsolete facility is coming home to roost. We’re talking about an old (it opened […]
Roberts Stadium may face a reprieve
Evansville’s Roberts Stadium may be losing most of its business once a downtown arena opens, but efforts to tear it down and replace it with a baseball/softball complex appears to have stalled, giving activists more time to come up with a use for the facility. Cost is the reason why city efforts to put in […]
Preserving Belleville’s Memorial Arena
It’s not the flashiest of venues, but over the past 83 or so years Belleville Memorial Arena has been at the center of civic life in the medium-sized Ontario community. And even though the place is falling apart — it’s temporarily closed because of an equipment failure — a group of community volunteers want to […]
Civic Arena demolition authorized; preservationists step in to delay
{jathumbnail off} Although the Pittsburgh Planning Commission voted to allow the demolition of Civic Arena yesterday, preservationists nominated the facility as a historic building with the Historic Review Commission; the mandatory review could delay the proceeds for upwards of a year. Two groups — Reuse the Igloo and Preservation Pittsburgh — have been working on […]
