View source for Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena

{{short description|Arena in Washington, United States}}
{{Refimprove|date=August 2010}}
{{Infobox stadium
|stadium_name = Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
|nickname = Spokane Arena, "The Arena"
|image = [[File:SpokaneArenaLogo.svg|250px]]<br/>[[File:SpokaneArenaSECorner.jpg|250px]]
|location = 720 W. Mallon Avenue<br/>[[Spokane, Washington]], U.S.<!-- 99201--> 
|coordinates       = {{coord|47.666|-117.423|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
|pushpin_map = United States Spokane#United States Greater Spokane#USA Washington#United States
|broke_ground = March 5, 1993
|opened=September 10, 1995<ref name=awapp>{{cite news |title=Arena wins applause |first=Bruce |last=Krasnow |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZYRXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0_EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2733%2C6976 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |date=September 11, 1995 |page=A1}}</ref><br/>{{Years or months ago|1995}}
|renovated =
|expanded = 
|closed =
|demolished =
|owner = [[Spokane Public Facilities District]] (SPFD)
|operator = Spokane Public Facilities District (SPFD)
|surface = Multi-surface
|construction_cost = $62.6 million<br/>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|62600000|1995}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
|architect = ALSC Architects<br/>[[Ellerbe Becket]]
|project_manager =
|general_contractor = Garco Construction
|former_names =
|tenants = [[Spokane Chiefs]] ([[Western Hockey League|WHL]]) (1995–present)<br/>[[Gonzaga Bulldogs]] ([[NCAA]]) (1995–2004)<br/>[[Spokane Shock]] ([[af2]]/[[Arena Football League|AFL]]) (2006–2015)<br/>[[Spokane Empire]] ([[Indoor Football League|IFL]]) (2016–2017)
|seating_capacity = End Stage concert: 12,638<br/>Basketball: 12,210<br/>Hockey: 10,366<br/>Indoor football: 10,771
Expansion possibilities: 14,000+
<!--|dimensions =
|latd=47 |latm=39 |lats=58.10 |latNS=N
|longd=117 |longm=25 |longs=22 |longEW=W -->
}}
'''Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena''' ('''Spokane Arena''') is a multi-purpose [[arena]] in the [[Western United States|western]] [[United States]], located in [[Spokane, Washington]]. It is home to the [[Spokane Chiefs]] of the [[Western Hockey League]].

==Facility==

===Construction===
With an aging [[Spokane Coliseum]], along with a need for a larger facility more than twice the coliseum's capacity, the Spokane City Council and Board of Spokane County Commissioners formed the [[Spokane Public Facilities District]]  (SPFD) to acquire, construct, own and operate sports and entertainment facilities with contiguous parking facilities. In 1990, the SPFD board members unanimously agreed on the following recommendations made by an economic feasibility/market study. The recommendations were:
*To build an arena opposed to a domed stadium
*An arena that could seat 12,000 to 14,000 with expansion capabilities
*To build the new arena on city-owned land located adjacent to the old coliseum with on-site parking for 2,000 automobiles

Voters rejected the Spokane Arena four times in six years before agreeing to build it in 1991.

In the fall of that year, two ballot measures were put out to voters, and passed:
*One, to publicly finance the construction of the arena through a property tax bond issue worth US$38 million
*Two, a measure to validate the SPFD. Validation was important, because it would allow the district to implement a 2% hotel tax to further fund construction.
 
In the fall of 1991, another funding measure was put out to voters and was passed. It involved a 0.1% raise in the sales tax. The passage of all three measures completed the [[United States dollar|$]]44.8 million financining needed to build the arena.

Ground was broken on March 5, 1993, and the Spokane Arena opened 2 years later, in September 1995.

===Building facts===
The Spokane Arena has a capacity for:
*12,638 for end-stage [[concert]]s
*12,494 for center-stage shows
*12,210 for basketball
*10,771 for arena football
*10,366 for ice hockey
*6,951 for half-house shows

The arena has a state-of-the-art audio and video system. It consists of a {{convert|15|by|20|ft|sing=on}} Viacom Sports 12&nbsp;mm LED display, which is capable of being used as two separate units. The video board has exceptional color reproduction and the best off-angle viewing available for any LED format. It can even be moved forward approximately {{convert|100|ft|m}} and down to approximately {{convert|20|ft|m}} off the arena floor. The arena also features a 350° color LED ribbon board, which is mounted on the fascia of the Spokane Arena bowl. It is capable of displaying text messages, animations, logos, scores and statistics.

Powered by [[Crown Amplifiers]], the audio system is driven by Community RS880 speakers in the Arena bowl, [[Altec Lansing]] satellite speakers for the upper seating areas, and [[Bose Corporation|Bose]] speakers serve the concourse, dressing rooms, and backstage hallways.

Large public areas are one of the greater features of the Spokane Arena. The arena floor is {{convert|32000|sqft|m2|-1}}, and the {{convert|14|ft|m|sing=on}} high concourse is a spacious {{convert|35000|sqft|m2|-1}}. 16 luxury suites contain a total of 146 seats. In addition, there are six meeting rooms located at the Spokane Arena, totalling {{convert|10050|sqft|m2|-1}} of meeting space.

On the Events Level, there are five truck docks with {{convert|8|ft|m|sing=on}} x {{convert|10|ft|m|adj=on}} loading doors, one {{convert|8|ft|m|sing=on}} x {{convert|10|ft|m|adj=on}} drive-in door, and one {{convert|20|ft|m|sing=on}} x {{convert|24|ft|m|adj=on}} drive-in loading door, allowing large shows to load and unload eight trucks simultaneously. Trucks can load and unload unobstructed, directly into the marshalling area at the arena floor's west end. Backstage are three star dressing rooms, two promoter offices (located in the marshalling area), and seven team dressing rooms, as well as a dressing room for officials.

The [[elevation]] at street level is approximately {{convert|1900|ft|-1}} above [[sea level]].

===2012 expansion/future===
Incorporated into its original design was an area designated for future expansion of the arena. Expansion of the upper bowl would raise the [[seating capacity]] of the arena to over 15,000. In 2011, the Spokane Public Facilities District became concerned the NCAA may tighten its criteria and require a true minimum of 12,000, with no allowance for seats lost due to tournament infrastructure.<ref>{{cite news |title=Smaller Spokane Venue Has Sizable Advantage at NCAAs|first=Tom|last=Kesnler|url=http://www.denverpost.com/kensler/ci_14727542|newspaper=[[The Denver Post]]|date=March 22, 2010|accessdate=March 22, 2010}}</ref> In early 2012, the Spokane Public Facilities District had "Measure 1" put on the April ballot, which was proposing to extend 0.1% sales tax and a 2% room tax to pay for a 91,000-square-foot addition to the Convention Center and other projects, including adding 750 seats to the Arena.<ref>{{cite news |title=Mailer for Measure 1 May Have Violated Law, PDC Says|first=Jonathan|last=Brunt|url=http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/apr/04/mailer-for-measure-1-may-have-violated-law-pdc/|newspaper=[[The Spokesman-Review]]|location=Spokane|date=April 4, 2012|accessdate=April 4, 2012}}</ref>

Measure 1 was voted yes, and the 750 seats will eventually be added to the Arena.<ref>{{cite news |title=Convention Center Expansion Measure Passes, What's Next?|first=Othello|last=Richards|url=http://www.krem.com/news/local/Convention-center-expansion-measure-passes-whats-next-148006625.html|work=[[KREM (TV)|KREM]]|location=Spokane|date=April 18, 2012|accessdate=January 4, 2013}}</ref> However, the seats that are to be added may have sight obstruction to the video wall, as it would be on the same side facing away.<ref name="chairforce">{{cite web |title=Chair Force|first=Daniel|last=Walters|url=http://www.inlander.com/spokane/article-14941-chair-force.html|work=Inlander|date=April 21, 2010|accessdate=April 21, 2010}}</ref> After this phase of new seating, full expansion of the arena including a center hung scoreboard and full seating expansion will cost roughly $3,547,000.<ref>{{cite web |title=Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena Seating Expansion Study|url=http://www.spokanepfd.org/completion/documents-raw/Arena%20Seating%20Report%20Final.pdf|publisher=Spokane Public Facilities District|date=August 17, 2011|accessdate=April 4, 2012}}</ref>

It is unknown as to whether the PFD will max out the arena's capacity.<ref name="chairforce"/>

==Events==

===Sports===

====Basketball====
Spokane Arena, in addition to its duties as being the host of Chiefs and Shock games, also has served as a secondary home for the men's [[basketball]] programs of [[Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball|Gonzaga University]] and [[Washington State Cougars men's basketball|Washington State University]] for nearly every year since opened. Washington State has played 33 matchups in the Spokane Arena in 19 of the 22 years with a record of 18–15 (1–7 vs. ranked opponents), while Gonzaga has hosted 18 games in 15 of the 22 years with a record of 12–6 (1–2 vs. ranked opposition). In-state rivals Washington State and Gonzaga have faced off against each other in the arena on five occasions (1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2014) with the Zags owning a 3–2 record against the Cougars in those games. The [[Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball|Bulldogs']] faced off against local rival [[Eastern Washington Eagles men's basketball|Eastern Washington University]] at the arena in four consecutive years (2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005), each won by the Zags, but just like with the Cougars, the rivalry has gone dormant due to the rise of the Zags' program to major status since the late 1990s, while the Cougars and Eagles have not seen much national spotlight. Washington State has often hosted home games at the Spokane Arena as a part of its [[Pac-12 Conference men's basketball]] schedule, holding a 7–9 against conference foes in the arena, facing UCLA in (1996 and 2004), Oregon (1997 and 2011), Oregon State (1997, 2011, and 2017), Arizona (1998, 2001, and 2006), Washington (1999), USC (2000 and 2004), Stanford (2004), California (2005), and Colorado (2014). With Gonzaga's rise to prominence, the Zags were able to bring high major schools like Washington (1998), Georgia (2003), [[Memphis Tigers men's basketball|Memphis]] (2007, 2009, and 2011) and Oklahoma (2009) to the Spokane Arena, with the Gonzaga holding a 2–3 record in those matchups, but with conference realignment and the [[West Coast Conference]]'s additions of BYU (2011) and Pacific (2013), the Zags have been more selective and limited in their scheduling with four less matchups in their non-conference schedule, so they have only played in the Spokane Arena once since 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=2016-17 Washington State Men's Basketball Information Guide|url=http://www.wsucougars.com/documents/2016/10/18/2016_17_Washington_State_MBB_Media_Guide.pdf|accessdate=November 1, 2016}}</ref><ref name="2016-17 Gonzaga Media Book">{{cite web|title=2016-17 Gonzaga Men's Basketball Record Book|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/gonz/sports/m-baskbl/auto_pdf/2016-17/misc_non_event/1617MBBRecordBook.pdf|accessdate=November 1, 2016}}</ref>

It also hosted the [[Washington Interscholastic Activities Association|WIAA]] Class B state high school basketball tournament annually until 2006. The tournament came back to the arena in 2007, but as the Class 2B tournament. The WIAA had split the B classification into 1B and 2B. The [[Yakima SunDome]] in [[Yakima, Washington|Yakima]] hosts the 1B tournament. The Class 1B tournament returned in 2011 when the WIAA changed the state tournament format.

Notably, this was the reason why the [[West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament]] had never been in Spokane before 2006; the Class B and WCC tournaments clash every year, and Gonzaga's on-campus arena at that time, the [[Charlotte Y. Martin Centre]], was too small to host the WCC tournament (it seated only 4,000 people). In 2004, Gonzaga opened a new on-campus arena, the [[McCarthey Athletic Center]], which enabled it to enter the WCC tournament rotation. The conference has since moved its tournament to the neutral [[Orleans Arena]] in [[Las Vegas]].

=====NCAA Division I tournaments =====
Spokane Arena has been the site of several NCAA Division I basketball tournament<!-- first- and second-round--> games (men and women), with [[Washington State University]] as the designated host school. For the [[NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament|men]], the arena hosted in the opening<!--first and second--> rounds in [[2003 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament|2003]], [[2007 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament|2007]], [[2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament|2010]], [[2014 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament|2014]], and [[2016 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament|2016]], hosted by the [[University of Idaho]] for the first time.  Prior to the arena's opening, the NCAA tournament was held in the region on the WSU campus in [[Pullman, Washington|Pullman]] at [[Beasley Coliseum]] ([[1975 NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament#West region|1975]], [[1982 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament#West region|1982]], [[1984 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament#West Regional – Los Angeles|1984]]).

The arena was a [[NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament|women's]] regional site in [[2008 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament|2008]], [[2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament|2011]], and [[2015 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament|2015]]. The 2011 regional was notable as Gonzaga became the lowest-seeded team ever to make a regional final in the women's tournament.<ref name="Spokane">{{cite web|last=|first=|date=Jul 30, 2014|title=Spokane selected for regional host site for 2015 DI Women’s Basketball tourney|url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-women/article/2014-07-30/spokane-selected-regional-host-site-2015-di-womens|work=NCAA|publisher=|accessdate=1 Aug 2014}}</ref>

====Bull riding====
In 1999, the [[Professional Bull Riders|PBR]] made a stop in Spokane Arena for a [[Bud Light Cup Series]] event; it was one of six wins for Cody Hart in 1999, the same year he became a PBR World Champion.

====Figure skating====
In January 2007, the Spokane Arena was put in the national spotlight once again. It was one of two facilities to host the [[2007 United States Figure Skating Championships|2007 U.S. Figure Skating Championships]], the other being the Group Health Exhibit Hall at the [[Spokane Center]] several blocks away. The arena, as well as the city received many rave reviews and also shattered the previous attendance record for the event, previously held by [[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, California]], by over 30,000 attendees.

On May 5, 2008, it was announced that Spokane would once again host the [[United States Figure Skating Championships|U.S. Figure Skating Championships]] leading up to the [[2010 Winter Olympics]]. Spokane Arena was the sole venue for the [[2010 United States Figure Skating Championships|2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships]].

The Spokane Arena successfully hosted the 2010 US Figure Skating Championships from January 15–24, 2010 and broke its own attendance record with 158,170 tickets sold during the 10-day event.

Also, the Spokane Arena hosted the very first [[2016 Team Challenge Cup]], where athletes from [[North America]], [[Europe]], and [[Asia]], competed against each other in teams. Team North America won the event.

===Football===
The [[Spokane Shock]] of the [[af2]] and the [[Arena Football League]] played at the arena from 2006 until 2015. The Shock hosted [[ArenaBowl XXIII]] in 2010. The Shock then attempted to join the [[Indoor Football League]] in 2015 but the AFL withheld the franchise rights from the ownership. The owners then created the [[Spokane Empire]] and played in the IFL in 2016 and 2017 before ceasing operations.

===Ice hockey===
The [[Spokane Chiefs]] of the WHL play their home games at the arena.

===Concerts at Star Theatre===
The Star Theatre is a 5,900-seat theater configuration used for theater concerts, [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], family shows and other events.  The seating capacity of the configuration positions the "venue" between the seating capacities of the nearby [[First Interstate Center for the Arts]] and the full-theater seating configuration of the Spokane Arena.

===Other events===
Numerous other activities have taken place at the Spokane Arena including circuses, large conferences, [[monster truck]] shows, concerts and much more. And every year the arena is home to Spokane's band and strings spectacular featuring the areas band and strings groups grades 5-6 from all schools.

Over the years the venue has hosted a variety of professional wrestling shows.

===Notable events hosted===
*Gonzaga and Washington State played the first collegiate basketball game on November 24, 1995. Washington State University 67 Gonzaga 62 in overtime.
*1995 - [[San Jose Sharks]] vs. [[Vancouver Canucks]] (National Hockey League exhibition game)
*1996 - [[Wrangler (jeans)|Wrangler]] Pro Rodeo Classic
*1996 - U.S.A. Motorsports Spectacular
*1996 - [[Stars on Ice]]
*1996 - [[Phish]]  - November 22
*1997 - The [[Harlem Globetrotters]]
*1997 - [[Western Hockey League]] All-Star Game
*1997 - [[NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship#Division I|NCAA Volleyball Final Four]]
*1998 - Stars on Ice
*1998 - [[1998 Memorial Cup|Memorial Cup]]
*1998 - WWF Raw is War
*[[2002 Skate America|2002]] [[Skate America]] [[figure skating]] competition
*2003 - [[2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament#Locations NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament|2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament]]
*2003 - WWE SmackDown!
*2009 - Taylor Swift Fearless Tour
*2010 - [[2010 United States Figure Skating Championships|U.S. Figure Skating Championships]]
*2010 - [[2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament#Tournament procedure|2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball 
Tournament]]
*2010-  [[Brad Paisley]] concert.
*2010 - [[ArenaBowl XXIII]]
*2010 - [[Disney on Ice]]
*2011 - [[Elton John]]
*2010 - [[Professional Bull Riders|PBR]] Classic
*2011 - [[2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament#Regionals and Final Four|2011 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Regionals]]
*June 2011 - [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]] concert.
*2013 - [[2013 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament#Regionals and Final Four|2013 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Regionals]]
*November 30, 2013 - [[Pearl Jam]] concert
*2014 - [[Fleetwood Mac]] concert
*2014 - [[Mötley Crüe]] concert, part of their [[Mötley Crüe Final Tour|Farewell Tour]]
*2015 - [[2015 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament#Regionals and Final Four|2015 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Regionals]]
*2016 - Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions<ref>{{cite web|title=2016 Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions takes center stage beginning Sept. 15|url=https://usagym.org/pages/post.html?PostID=19213|publisher=usagym.org|accessdate=March 26, 2019}}</ref>
*2018 - [[Metallica]] concert

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.spokanearena.com Spokane Arena website]
{{s-start-collapsible|header={{s-sta|et}}}}
{{Succession box
| title = Home of the<br>[[Spokane Chiefs]]
| years = 1995 – present
| before = [[Spokane Coliseum]]
| after = Current
}}
{{Succession box
| title = Host of the<br>[[ArenaBowl]] 
| years = [[ArenaBowl XXIII]]
| before = [[New Orleans Arena]] 
| after = [[US Airways Center]]
}}
{{end}}
{{Spokane Shock}}
{{Spokane Chiefs}}
{{WHL Arenas}}
{{Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball navbox}}

[[Category:Arena football venues]]
[[Category:College basketball venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball venues]]
[[Category:Gymnastics venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Professional wrestling venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Spokane Chiefs]]
[[Category:Spokane Public Facilities District]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Spokane, Washington]]
[[Category:Western Hockey League arenas]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Spokane, Washington]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1995]]
[[Category:1995 establishments in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Indoor arenas in Washington (state)]]
[[Category:Music venues in Washington (state)]]