Berglund Center
 | |
| Former names | Roanoke Civic Center |
|---|---|
| Location | 710 Williamson Road Northeast Roanoke, VA 24016 |
| Owner | City of Roanoke |
| Operator | Global Spectrum |
| Capacity | Basketball: 9,828 Ice hockey: 8,642 End stage: 10,500 Center stage: 10,600 Eclipse: 4,276 |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1969 |
| Opened | October 3, 1971 |
| Renovated | 2007 (Performing Arts Center and Special Events Center addition) 2012-16 (arena renovations) |
| Construction cost | $14 million ($105 million in 2024 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Smithey & Boynton[2] Frantz & Chappelear[2] Thompson & Payne[2] |
| General contractor | Nello L. Teer Company[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs (SPHL) (2016-future) Virginia Tech Hokies Ice Hockey Roanoke Maroons Ice Hockey Radford Highlanders ice hockey Roanoke Valley Rebels (EHL) (1971-1973) Roanoke Valley Rebels (SHL) (1973-1976) Roanoke Express (ECHL) (1993-2004) Roanoke Valley Vipers (UHL) (2005-2006) Roanoke Dazzle (NBDL) (2001-2006) Virginia Squires (ABA) (1971-1976) Roanoke Steam (af2) (2000-2002) | |
Berglund Center (originally called the Roanoke Civic Center) is a 9,828-seat multi-purpose arena located in the Williamson Road neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. It was built in 1971. It was the former home to the Roanoke Dazzle basketball team, as well as the Roanoke Express and Roanoke Valley Vipers ice hockey teams. Currently, it is the home of the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the Southern Professional Hockey League, Virginia Tech, Radford University and Roanoke College men's ice hockey teams. The arena is also the home of the annual boys basketball games between Roanoke's two city high schools, Patrick Henry High School and William Fleming High School.
History
Opened in October 1971, the Roanoke Civic Center was also the former home of the American Basketball Association (1967-1976) professional basketball franchise Virginia Squires. The Squires played there (in addition to the Norfolk Scope, Richmond Coliseum and Hampton Coliseum; all within the state of Virginia) from 1971 to 1972. The Virginia Squires used the Civic Center for only one season due to low attendance, before folding in 1976. Elvis Presley performed there in 1972, 1974, 1976, and was due to return in 1977, about a week after his death. It hosted 251 professional wrestling events between 1975 and 2013.[4] WCW held Fall Brawl there in 1994 and Monday Nitro on March 31, 1997. WWE broght Monday Night Raw on December 1, 1997, and May 6, 2013. The 1977-1981 Southern Conference men's basketball tournaments were held there as well.
From 2001 to 2006, professional basketball was active again at the Roanoke Civic Center, with the National Basketball Association's D-League franchise, the Roanoke Dazzle. College basketball was also recently contested there, in the form of the Big South Conference men's basketball tournaments in 2001 and 2002. The Metro Conference men's basketball tournament was held here in 1991. When both the Dazzle and Vipers folded after the 2005-06 season, the Roanoke Civic Center was left with 60 open dates to fill for the upcoming fall and winter.[5]Eventually, nearly two-thirds of these open dates were awarded to the Virginia Tech, Radford University and Roanoke College hockey clubs, the arena's current primary tenants.
Overview
Built at the same time as the Scope and Richmond Coliseum, the Roanoke Civic Center is the area's premier sports and entertainment venue. However, the facility is showing its age on both the exterior and interior giving a look that it was built many decades ago. There are 8 restrooms and 6 concession stands at the arena, which has a 60-foot (18 m) ceiling height and 10 spotlights as well as a portable stage that is no larger than 60-by-40 feet. There are 8,372 permanent seats at the arena; the arena floor measures over 20,000 square feet (1,900 m2). The Eclipse forms the Coliseum's half-house configuration. The arena recently began a $6.2 million renovation project expected to last until 2016. The arena's heating system has been replaced, and plans call for upgrades to the arena's electrical system and to all arena entrances, as well as for all seats to be replaced.
Adjacent are a 14,396-square-foot (1,337.4 m2) exhibit hall with 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of column-free space, and a 2,440-seat theatre that can be used for concerts, Broadway shows, the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and other special events. The theatre features a 55-foot (17 m)-by-105-foot stage; 1,625 seats in the theatre are in the orchestra level, 295 in the loge and 520 in the balcony. After recent renovations, the facility became known as the Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre.
A 46,000-square-foot (4,300 m2) special events center was added to the Civic Center in 2007; it is be used for trade shows, meetings, conventions and other special events. It can hold up to 3,066 seated, 5,850 standing. The ceiling height is 32 feet.
References
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c Consulting Engineer, Volume 36. Technical Publishing Company. 1971.
- ^ Specifying Engineer, Volume 41. Cahners Publishing Company. 1979.
- ^ Shows held at the Roanoke Civic Center, from WrestlingData.com
- ^ Scott, Jon C. (2006). Hockey Night in Dixie: Minor Pro Hockey in the American South. Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. p. 4. ISBN 1-894974-21-2.
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External links
- 1970s establishments in Virginia
- 1971 establishments in the United States
- American Basketball Association venues
- Basketball venues in Virginia
- Buildings and structures in Roanoke, Virginia
- College basketball venues in the United States
- Convention centers in Virginia
- Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States
- NBA Development League arenas
- Roanoke Dazzle
- Sports in Roanoke, Virginia
- Virginia Squires
- Visitor attractions in Roanoke, Virginia