Spokane Coliseum
The Boone Street Barn | |
Location | W. Boone Ave. & N. Howard St. Spokane, Washington |
---|---|
Coordinates | 47°40′03″N 117°25′19″W / 47.6675°N 117.422°W |
Capacity | 5,400 |
Construction | |
Broke ground | September 28, 1953 [1] |
Opened | December 3, 1954 |
Closed | Spring 1995 (40 years) |
Demolished | Spring–Summer 1995 |
Construction cost | $2.5 million in 1954 [2][3] |
Tenants | |
Gonzaga Bulldogs (NCAA) (1958–65, 1979–80) Spokane Flyers (WHL) (1980–81) Spokane Chiefs (WHL) (1985–95) |
Spokane Coliseum (nicknamed The Boone Street Barn)[4][5] was an indoor arena in the western United States, located in Spokane, Washington. Opened over 69 years ago in late 1954,[2] it had a seating capacity of 5,400.
After more than a year of construction, the arena was dedicated on December 3, 1954, in a program headlined by Metropolitan Opera soprano Patrice Munsel, a Spokane native.[2][6][7] The largest crowds in its early years were for a Catholic Mass and stage shows by Lawrence Welk and Liberace, respectively.[7]
It was host to a number of teams, including the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. The arena served as the home of the Gonzaga University basketball team, from its entry into NCAA Division I competition in 1958, until the opening of the on-campus John F. Kennedy Memorial Pavilion in 1965,[8] later the Charlotte Y. Martin Centre. The Bulldogs returned to the Coliseum in 1979, their first year in the West Coast Athletic Conference, for conference home games only[9] before returning to Kennedy Pavilion for the 1980–81 season.[10] They continued to use the Coliseum for occasional home games until its demise. The venue was used for some events of the 1990 Goodwill Games[11]
Replacement
During 1990, discussions for a new arena to replace the Spokane Coliseum began.[12] One factor that led to the idea included several damages to the arena which had a leaking roof and rusted boilers.[12] Another major issue was the size of Spokane Coliseum, which had then recently lost potential bookings from ZZ Top and New Kids on the Block due to its small size; Spokane was losing concert dates to larger venues in Pullman and Boise.[12]
The Spokane Coliseum was replaced by the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena 29 years ago in 1995, and was demolished that spring and summer.[13] The space it occupied is directly north of the new arena, towards Boone Avenue, now a parking lot.[5]
References
- ^ Emahiser, Bob (December 3, 1954). "Coliseum dedication gives reality to long-time city dream". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 13.
- ^ a b c "8000 jam Coliseum for colorful dedication program". Spokesman-Review. December 4, 1954. p. 1.
- ^ "$2,500,000 Coliseum opens tonight". Spokane Daily Chronicle. December 3, 1954. p. 1.
- ^ Foster, J. Todd (April 19, 1995). "Coliseum to live in hearts, homes". Spokesman-Review. p. A1.
- ^ a b Bartel, Frank (March 20, 1995). "Coliseum should make good gravel". Spokesman-Review. p. A11.
- ^ Bonino, Rick (December 3, 1984). "Bittersweet 30th birthday for Coliseum". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
- ^ a b Hill, Bob (November 12, 1964). "Coliseum playing major role here". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 1.
- ^ Missildine, Harry (May 21, 1965). "Kennedy Pavilion heralds modern Gonzaga sports era". Spokesman-Review. p. 28.
- ^ "Year-by-Year Results" (PDF). 2007 Gonzaga University Men's Basketball Media Guide. Gonzaga University Athletics. pp. 123–133. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
- ^ "Through The Ages – Homes of the Bulldogs" (PDF). 2007 Gonzaga University Men's Basketball Media Guide. Gonzaga University Athletics. p. 108. Retrieved 2007-05-29.
- ^ "The 1990 Goodwill Games are Coming to Spokane". Spokesman-Review. (advertisement). June 21, 1990. p. A13.
- ^ a b c Prager, Mike (October 27, 1990). "Spokane Coliseum not worth repairing, tax breakers say". Spokesman-Review. p. B1.
- ^ Johnson, Kristina (June 23, 1995). "Barn-razing". Spokesman-Review. p. B1.
External links
- Spokane Daily Chronicle - photos from December 3, 1954 edition, opening night
- Sports venues demolished in 1995
- Defunct college basketball venues in the United States
- Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball venues
- Defunct indoor ice hockey venues in the United States
- Sports venues in Spokane, Washington
- Western Hockey League arenas
- Defunct indoor arenas in the United States
- 1990 Goodwill Games venues
- Demolished sports venues in Washington (state)
- 1954 establishments in Washington (state)
- Sports venues completed in 1954
- 1995 disestablishments in Washington (state)
- Indoor arenas in Washington (state)
- Spokane Chiefs
- Ice hockey venue stubs
- Washington (state) building and structure stubs
- Washington (state) sport stubs
- Western United States sports venue stubs