XL Center

XL Center
XL Center Logo
Former names Hartford Civic Center (1975–2007)
Address 1 Civic Center Plaza
Location Hartford, Connecticut
Coordinates 41°46′06″N 72°40′37″W / 41.76833°N 72.67694°W / 41.76833; -72.67694Coordinates: 41°46′06″N 72°40′37″W / 41.76833°N 72.67694°W / 41.76833; -72.67694
Owner City of Hartford[1]
Operator Global Spectrum
Capacity Basketball: 15,564
Ice hockey: 14,750 (9,801 with curtain system)
Surface 200 × 85 ft (hockey)
Construction
Broke ground April 2, 1971[2]
Opened January 9, 1975
Closed 1978–1980 (roof collapse, renovations)
Construction cost $30 million[3]
($136 million in 2017 dollars[4])
Architect Kling & Associates
Danos and Associates[5]
Project manager Gilbane Building Company[6]
Structural engineer Fraoli, Blum, and Yesselman, Engineers[7]
General contractor William L. Crow Construction Company[6]
Tenants
Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) (1997–present)
Connecticut Huskies (NCAA) (1975–1978, 1980–present, part time)
New England / Hartford Whalers (WHA / NHL) (1975–1978, 1980–1997)
Connecticut Coyotes (AFL) (1995–1996)
New England Blizzard (ABL) (1996–1998)
New England Sea Wolves (AFL) (1999–2000)
Boston Celtics (NBA) (1975–1995, part time)
Hartford Hellions (MISL) (1980–1981)

The XL Center (originally known as the Hartford Civic Center) is a multi-purpose arena and convention center located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. It is owned by the City of Hartford and operated by Spectra. In December 2007, the Center was renamed when the arena's naming rights were sold to XL Group insurance company in a 6-year agreement. The arena is ranked the 28th largest among college basketball arenas. Opened in 1974 as the Hartford Civic Center and originally located adjacent to Civic Center Mall, which was demolished in 2004. It consists of two facilities: the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the Exhibition Center.

On March 21, 2007, the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) selected the Northland/Anschutz Entertainment Group proposal. It was revealed that Northland will assume total responsibility for the building paying for any and all losses, and will keep any profits. In 2012, the CRDA, put the contract out to bid with hopes of combining the operations with Rentschler Field.[8] In February 2013, Global Spectrum of Philadelphia, was chosen to take over both the XL Center and Rentschler Field[9] with Ovations Food Services taking over all food and beverage operations.

Hartford Civic Center

The Civic Center is the full-time home of the Hartford Wolf Pack AHL hockey team and part-time home of the University of Connecticut men's and women's basketball teams and the Connecticut Huskies men's ice hockey team. Starting in the late 1990s, the UConn men moved most of their important games—including the bulk of their Big East Conference games—to the Coliseum. During the 2011–2012 season, for instance, they played 11 home games at the Coliseum and only eight at their on-campus facility, Gampel Pavilion. This practice continued when the Huskies joined the American Athletic Conference, successor to the original Big East, in 2013. The Uconn Men's Hockey team uses the XL Center as its primary home as the newest member of Hockey East.

It was the home of the New England/Hartford Whalers of the WHA and NHL from 1975 to 1978 and 1980 to 1997, and the Hartford Hellions of the MISL from 1980 to 1981, and the New England Blizzard of the ABL from 1996 to 1998, and hosted occasional Boston Celtics home games from 1975 to 1995. It was the home of the Connecticut Coyotes and later the New England Sea Wolves of the Arena Football League.

The arena seats 15,635 for ice hockey and 16,294 for basketball, 16,606 for center-stage concerts, 16,282 for end-stage concerts, and 8,239 for ¾-end stage concerts, and contains 46 luxury suites and a 310-seat Coliseum Club, plus 25,000 square feet (2,300 m2) of arena floor space, enabling it to be used for trade shows and conventions in addition to concerts, circuses, ice shows, sporting events and other events. The graduation ceremonies of Central Connecticut State University and other local colleges are also held annually at the XL Center.

Early history and ceiling collapse

The arena remains a site for popular concerts. October 2007.

As originally built in 1975, it seated 10,507 for hockey, and served as the home of the then–New England Whalers for three years. In the early morning of January 18, 1978, just hours after the University of Connecticut Men's Basketball team defeated the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the weight of snow from the day's heavy snowstorm and a faulty roof design caused the Civic Center roof to collapse.[10] There were no injuries. The building was heavily renovated and re-opened January 17, 1980.

The Arena hosted the Hartford Whalers from January 11, 1980 to April 13, 1997. Shortly thereafter the team relocated to Raleigh to become the Carolina Hurricanes. In 1994, new owner Peter Karmanos purchased the team and pledged to keep the Whalers in Connecticut until 1998, unless they could not sell over 11,000 season tickets. After failed negotiations to build a new downtown arena for the Whalers with then-Governor John G. Rowland, on March 25, 1997, Karmanos announced that the team would leave. The New York Rangers, looking to capitalize on Hartford as a potential market, placed its farm team there to become the Hartford Wolf Pack starting in 1997. After a short stint as the Connecticut Whale, they reverted to the Wolf Pack moniker in 2013. Renovations were complete in October 2014, which is set to serve the arena until its fiftieth birthday.

Seating capacity

Boston Celtics

Date Opponent Result Score Game Type Attendance
November 11, 1975Atlanta HawksL100-91RS10,591
December 17, 1975Kansas City KingsW104-118RS11,243
January 13, 1976Portland Trail BlazersW94-106RS11,243
March 9, 1976New Orleans JazzL117-99RS11,230
April 6, 1976Cleveland CavaliersL101-92RS11,243
October 28, 1976Buffalo BravesW105-112RS10,608
January 11, 1977Houston RocketsW101-105RS10,011
February 15, 1977Detroit PistonsW99-109RS9,879
March 1, 1977Golden State WarriorsL101-94RS11,273
March 30, 1977Chicago BullsW88-90RS11,089
April 9, 1977San Antonio SpursW105-120RS10,859
October 25, 1977Atlanta HawksW103-110RS6,590
December 13, 1977New Jersey NetsW108-122RS5,518
January 5, 1978Phoenix SunsL121-111RS10,019
February 26, 1980Atlanta HawksW97-108RS15,622
March 18, 1980Indiana PacersW102-114RS15,622
October 23, 1980New York KnicksL109-107RS12,941
November 9, 1980Chicago BullsW105-111RS8,627
December 7, 1980Washington BulletsL113-103RS11,430
January 19, 1981Detroit PistonsW90-92RS9,941
March 13, 1981Indiana PacersL101-94RS15,622
November 13, 1981New Jersey NetsW97-11RS11,753
December 11, 1981Atlanta HawksW86-94RS13,369
January 10, 1982Detroit PistonsW124-134RS15,429
November 30, 1982Detroit PistonsL123-116RS11,762
January 31, 1983Chicago BullsW104-110RS12,742
March 7, 1983New Jersey NetsW114-121RS15,165
December 9, 1983Denver NuggetsW90-119RS13,374
January 20, 1984Indiana PacersW125-132RS13,134
March 2, 1984Chicago BullsW100-104RS14,529
December 11, 1984New Jersey NetsW121-130RS13,357
January 29, 1985Detroit PistonsW130-131RS15,685
February 22, 1985Chicago BullsW105-115RS15,685
December 10, 1985Atlanta HawksW110-114RS14,493
February 23, 1986Indiana PacersW98-113RS15,124
March 18, 1986Cleveland CavaliersW96-126RS15,134
December 2, 1986Washington BulletsL117-109RS15,134
February 23, 1987New Jersey NetsW103-116RS15,134
March 24, 1987Cleveland CavaliersW88-111RS15,134
November 23, 1987Chicago BullsL107-102RS15,134
February 22, 1988New York KnicksW93-95RS15,134
March 11, 1988Indiana PacersW112-122RS15,134
November 22, 1988Cleveland CavaliersL114-102RS15,239
February 24, 1989Milwaukee BucksW112-125RS15,239
March 13, 1989New Jersey NetsW91-114RS15,239
November 14, 1989Philadelphia 76ersW94-96RS15,239
February 6, 1990Milwaukee BucksL119-106RS15,239
March 9, 1990Washington BulletsL115-108RS15,239
November 26, 1990Miami HeatW101-118RS15,239
February 22, 1991New Jersey NetsW99-111RS15,239
March 4, 1991Indiana PacersW101-126RS15,239
November 25, 1991Washington BulletsW108-121RS14,678
February 21, 1992Charlotte HornetsW110-113RS15,239
March 13, 1992New Jersey NetsL110-108RS15,239
November 23, 1992Atlanta HawksL101-97RS13,299
February 9, 1993Milwaukee BucksW92-104RS14,137
March 28, 1993Washington BulletsW113-114RS15,239
November 22, 1993Indiana PacersL102-71RS13,200
February 17, 1994New Jersey NetsL117-98RS12,588
March 27, 1994Philadelphia 76ersW122-124RS13,259
November 22, 1994Milwaukee BucksL116-94RS12,829
February 23, 1995Orlando MagicW117-119RS15,242
April 15, 1995Detroit PistonsW104-129RS12,979
October 14, 2009Toronto RaptorsW90–106PS10,117
October 16, 2010New York KnicksW84-97PS15,138
October 13, 2012New York KnicksL98-95PS14,218
October 8, 2014New York KnicksW86-106PS8,462

[16]

International Hockey Games

DateTeamsAttendance
January 7, 1989CSKA Moscow 6–3 Hartford Whalers-
December 27, 1989Krylya Sovetov Moscow 3–4 (OT) Hartford Whalers-
January 3, 1991Dynamo Moscow 0-0 Hartford Whalers-

Current arena and recent renovations

In September 2010, the arena was upgraded with a new center-hung scoreboard with four Sony Jumbotrons and a state-of-the-art sound system.[17] The Connecticut State Legislature set aside $35 million in funding for improvements to the XL Center that began in early spring 2014 and completed in time for the start of the 2014-15 seasons of the Wolf Pack and UConn Men's Hockey in October. Improvements included upgrades to the mechanical system, locker rooms and concourse, replacing jumbotrons with a new high definition video board, as well as aesthetic improvements such as a new bar area inside the arena and luxury seating in the lower bowl. A portion of the $35 million allocation went towards a study on the arena's long-term viability; either more major renovations or replacing it with a new facility.

Events

The XL Center has held many notable events including:

The Veterans Memorial Coliseum as set up for Monster Jam.

Connecticut Huskies

UConn Hockey Attendance Records

Date Opponent Result Attendance
November 15, 2014#3 Boston CollegeW 1-08,089
November 22, 2014#3 Boston UniversityL 2-57,712
February 16, 2018#20 Boston UniversityW 5-4OT7,372

Exhibition center

The Exhibition Center consists of a 68,855-square-foot (6,397 m2) exhibit hall, a 16,080-square-foot (1,494 m2) assembly hall that can divide into two meeting rooms, plus seven meeting rooms totaling 7,390 square feet (687 m2) and two lobbies totaling 6,100 square feet (570 m2). It is used for trade shows, conventions, banquets, meetings and other events.

The surrounding shopping mall was torn down in 2004 and was replaced by street-level retail shops and a 36-story residential tower named Hartford 21 which opened in 2006 and is the tallest residential tower between New York City and Boston.

Possible new arena

With the XL Center approaching its 40th birthday, leaders in Hartford have been considering whether it should be replaced with a new facility. In 2006, developer Lawrence Gottesdiener began lobbying to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins and move them to a new Hartford arena, but the Lemieux Group was reluctant to sell. The Penguins bid was officially off the table in March 2007, when the team announced that they were beginning construction on a new arena and that they signed a 30-year deal with the city of Pittsburgh to keep the team there well into the future. Penguins owner Mario Lemieux claimed at the arena's ground-breaking ceremony that relocating the franchise was never a possibility, but was instead a negotiation tactic to help the team get funding for the arena from both state and local officials.[22]

After the Pittsburgh bid fell through, Gottesdiener made another bid for the Nashville Predators franchise with the hope of bringing them to Hartford. That bid was lost in August 2007, as the Predators ownership ultimately decided to sell to a local holding company that would keep the team in Nashville.

Since that time, Mayor Eddie Pérez and former House Speaker James Amann continued to investigate the feasibility of a new downtown arena,[23] with Mayor Perez making statements to tear down the XL Center and replace it with the new arena as recently as March 2008. The current lease for the XL Center runs until 2013. After that, the facility must be turned over to the city of Hartford. By that point, the city wants to decide whether the building can be refurbished or if it has enough financial support to build a new arena. Mayor Eddie Perez met with a newly formed task force of city business leaders to determine the benefits of building a new arena. "In order to consider the new arena, we have to find out where the corporate support is for a new arena and that's the charge I gave the task force," Perez said. "My hope is that by late September of this year, they can give me an idea where the corporate support would be and how we can go about organizing that support." "The mayor said that he feels the city needs a new arena to attract more events and possibly a professional sports franchise." "For a region to survive, you need a dynamic urban center and entertainment is part of a dynamic urban center," said Oz Griebel of the Metro Hartford Alliance. "If you're going to offer entertainment venues, whether they be basketball games, hockey games, rodeos, concerts, you have to have a venue that people are going to want to come to." Perez said he thinks a new arena could bring about 1,500 new jobs to the city.

Early in 2010, Howard Baldwin, the former owner of the Whalers, moved back to Connecticut and formed Whalers Sports and Entertainment in an attempt to grow interest in hockey and the NHL in Connecticut. These efforts may lead to the building a state-of-the-art arena as a replacement for the aging XL Center. In November 2011, Howard Baldwin announced a $105 million proposal to renovate the XL Center as a part of an effort to improve attendance at current minor hockey and college basketball games and improve Hartford's chances at attracting a new NHL hockey team. In June 2012, it was announced that MSG was severing ties with Baldwin and his company, WSE. AEG assumed the business operations for the Connecticut Whale immediately after that, until Global Spectrum took over the Whale's business operations, and that of the XL Center in 2013.[24]

On February 19, 2015, the CRDA released a case study on the future of the arena. The report presents three options. The first option would be to completely tear down the existing arena down and construct a new one. The second option would be to expand the existing arena and completely rebuild the interior. The third and final option is to neither expand nor construct a new arena, and rather overhaul the current site. Each option will come complete with additional luxury boxes and suites, and other amenities up to par with comparable NHL facilities. The study estimates 2–3 years of construction time and a $250-$500 million price tag.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Opportunities for The Hartford Civic Center" (PDF). The Connecticut Development Authority. p. 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 12, 2008. Retrieved March 30, 2008.
  2. ↑ "Ground is Broken For the Civic Center". Hartford Courant. April 2, 1971. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  3. ↑ Swift, Mike (January 9, 1995). "A Quiet Hartford Civic Center Turns 20 Today". Hartford Courant. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  4. ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  5. ↑ Modern concrete: Volume 40. Chicago: Pit & Quarry Publications. 1976. p. 20.
  6. 1 2 "XL Center". Emporis. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Failure Cases - Hartford Civic Center". Materials Education and Research Pathway. Archived from the original on August 1, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2012.
  8. ↑ Jacobs, Jeff (February 3, 2013). "Secrecy On XL Center, Rentschler Plans Isn't Helping Matters". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  9. ↑ Gosselin, Kenneth R. (February 7, 2013). "Philadelphia Group Picked To Run XL Center, Rentschler Field". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  10. ↑ Martin, Rachel. "Hartford Civic Center Arena Roof Collapse". University of Alabama at Birmingham. Archived from the original on January 8, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  11. ↑ "1979-80 Hartford Whalers Results and Schedule". Hockey Database. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  12. ↑ McGowen, Deane (March 22, 1981). "Duguay Gets 2 Goals As Rangers Win, 6-4". The New York Times. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  13. ↑ Berlet, Bruce (February 13, 1984). "Whalers Drill Oilers, 11-0, Flood Record Books". Hartford Courant. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  14. 1 2 3 Jacobs, Jeff (March 27, 1992). "Playoff Sales Are Down". Hartford Courant. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
  15. ↑ Clinton, Jared (February 20, 2015). "Hartford Looking at Upgrades for XL Center – Could the NHL Come Back?". The Hockey News. Retrieved November 24, 2016.
  16. ↑ Basketball Reference https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/BOS
  17. ↑ Jacobs, Jeff (October 5, 2010). "XL Center Gets New Video Boards". Hartford Courant. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  18. ↑ "ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments". Varsity Pride. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  19. ↑ "1977 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments". Varsity Pride. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  20. ↑ "XL Center (Hartford, CT)". University of Connecticut Department of Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  21. ↑ Broun, Sara (October 6, 2011). "PBR Built Ford Tough Series Visits Hartford for First Time". Professional Bull Riders. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  22. ↑ Associated Press (April 7, 2006). "Developer Wants to Buy Penguins for Possible Move to Hartford". USA Today. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  23. ↑ "City of Hartford Seek Consultant to Advise on Feasibility of Developing New Downtown Arena" (Press release). City of Hartford, Connecticut. August 30, 2006. Retrieved February 14, 2007.
  24. ↑ Green, Rick (November 15, 2011). "NHL Back In Hartford In Five Years: Crazy Or Brilliant?". Hartford Courant. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Boston Garden
Springfield Civic Center		 Home of the New England / Hartford Whalers
1974–1978
1980–1997		 Succeeded by
Springfield Civic Center
Greensboro Coliseum
Preceded by
Madison Square Garden		 Home of the New England Sea Wolves
1999–2000		 Succeeded by
Air Canada Centre
Preceded by
Olympic Saddledome		 Host of NHL All-Star Game
1986		 Succeeded by
St. Louis Arena
Preceded by
Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena		 Home of the Hartford Wolf Pack/Connecticut Whale
1997-Present		 Succeeded by
Current Arena
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