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Bojangles Coliseum
Bojangles Coliseum, originally Charlotte Coliseum and formerly Independence Arena and Cricket Arena, is a 10,829-seat multi-purpose arena located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, which also oversees nearby Ovens Auditorium and the uptown Charlotte Convention Center. The naming-rights sponsor is the Bojangles restaurant chain. The building's signature domed roof is made of tin, rather than steel or iron. The dome spans 332 feet in diameter and rises to 112 feet tall.
Construction began on the Coliseum in 1953 after some delays. Arthur G. Odell Jr., of A. G. Odell Jr. & Associates. served as project designer, his first major project. James C. Hemphill Jr. oversaw the project. Another important Charlotte figure of the time, Frederick Thompson of FN Thompson Construction, had the daunting, yet, highly successful task building the coliseum.
In September 1955, the building was opened and dedicated by Billy Graham as the Charlotte Coliseum. At the time, it was the largest unsupported dome in the world and notably was the first free-spanning dome in the United States. Numerous newspapers and architectural magazines ran stories about the building over the following years, especially its dome. Total evacuation time for the entire structure was just four minutes, while seating capacity could be anywhere between 10,000 and 14,000 seats, approximately, depending on the event.
The Coliseum hosted numerous acts and events over its first few decades. A Billy Graham Crusade took place at the Coliseum in 1958. Elvis Presley first performed at the Coliseum in 1956; his last performance there was in 1977. Elvis was one of numerous musical acts to perform at the Coliseum during this time. In 1958, a massive storm went through the region, damaging the Coliseum's roof. However, the roof held up despite the damage. In 1970, a new north entrance was added. Due to its location, visitors walked onto the building's upper concourse after purchasing their tickets. This entrance is still used today.
After the new Charlotte Coliseum opened in 1988, the original Coliseum was shuttered since the new building effectively took over all the original Coliseum's duties, though it came quickly back into use as it was realized the new Coliseum, which could host over 24,000 for basketball, would be cavernous to host smaller and mid-sized concerts and events. Over the next five years, an extensive refurbishment was made to the structure. This included technology, infrastructure, and accessibility upgrades.
Once reopened in 1993, it was considered as an alternative to the larger Coliseum for events that required less seating or overall space. An expansion franchise in the East Coast Hockey League, the Charlotte Checkers (named in honor of the original Checkers team that played at the Coliseum from 1956 to 1977), became the building's primary tenant. It also got its first name change that same year to Independence Arena. Color TVs were installed inside the concourse and a small restaurant opened for select fans in 1995. In 2001, the arena was renamed Cricket Arena in a naming rights arrangement with Cricket Communications.
In 2005, the Checkers departed Cricket Arena for the newly opened Charlotte Bobcats Arena, now Spectrum Center. Due to this, the Coliseum was left without a permanent tenant for a decade. The building remained open as a venue for medium-sized concerts and stage shows which would not be suitable for the Spectrum, as well as high school and some college sporting events, along with local attractions. In 2008, Bojangles Restaurants, Inc., based in Charlotte, bought the naming rights.
Questions about the building's future would arise in the years that followed, due to its age and lack of events. In 2012, the city of Charlotte began considering renovating the building itself as a multi-use sports complex. Two years later, another plan was announced with developer GoodSports that would add both a hotel and sports complex next to the Coliseum. Both plans ultimately fell through.
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Bojangles Coliseum
Bojangles Coliseum, originally Charlotte Coliseum and formerly Independence Arena and Cricket Arena, is a 10,829-seat multi-purpose arena located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, which also oversees nearby Ovens Auditorium and the uptown Charlotte Convention Center. The naming-rights sponsor is the Bojangles restaurant chain. The building's signature domed roof is made of tin, rather than steel or iron. The dome spans 332 feet in diameter and rises to 112 feet tall.
Construction began on the Coliseum in 1953 after some delays. Arthur G. Odell Jr., of A. G. Odell Jr. & Associates. served as project designer, his first major project. James C. Hemphill Jr. oversaw the project. Another important Charlotte figure of the time, Frederick Thompson of FN Thompson Construction, had the daunting, yet, highly successful task building the coliseum.
In September 1955, the building was opened and dedicated by Billy Graham as the Charlotte Coliseum. At the time, it was the largest unsupported dome in the world and notably was the first free-spanning dome in the United States. Numerous newspapers and architectural magazines ran stories about the building over the following years, especially its dome. Total evacuation time for the entire structure was just four minutes, while seating capacity could be anywhere between 10,000 and 14,000 seats, approximately, depending on the event.
The Coliseum hosted numerous acts and events over its first few decades. A Billy Graham Crusade took place at the Coliseum in 1958. Elvis Presley first performed at the Coliseum in 1956; his last performance there was in 1977. Elvis was one of numerous musical acts to perform at the Coliseum during this time. In 1958, a massive storm went through the region, damaging the Coliseum's roof. However, the roof held up despite the damage. In 1970, a new north entrance was added. Due to its location, visitors walked onto the building's upper concourse after purchasing their tickets. This entrance is still used today.
After the new Charlotte Coliseum opened in 1988, the original Coliseum was shuttered since the new building effectively took over all the original Coliseum's duties, though it came quickly back into use as it was realized the new Coliseum, which could host over 24,000 for basketball, would be cavernous to host smaller and mid-sized concerts and events. Over the next five years, an extensive refurbishment was made to the structure. This included technology, infrastructure, and accessibility upgrades.
Once reopened in 1993, it was considered as an alternative to the larger Coliseum for events that required less seating or overall space. An expansion franchise in the East Coast Hockey League, the Charlotte Checkers (named in honor of the original Checkers team that played at the Coliseum from 1956 to 1977), became the building's primary tenant. It also got its first name change that same year to Independence Arena. Color TVs were installed inside the concourse and a small restaurant opened for select fans in 1995. In 2001, the arena was renamed Cricket Arena in a naming rights arrangement with Cricket Communications.
In 2005, the Checkers departed Cricket Arena for the newly opened Charlotte Bobcats Arena, now Spectrum Center. Due to this, the Coliseum was left without a permanent tenant for a decade. The building remained open as a venue for medium-sized concerts and stage shows which would not be suitable for the Spectrum, as well as high school and some college sporting events, along with local attractions. In 2008, Bojangles Restaurants, Inc., based in Charlotte, bought the naming rights.
Questions about the building's future would arise in the years that followed, due to its age and lack of events. In 2012, the city of Charlotte began considering renovating the building itself as a multi-use sports complex. Two years later, another plan was announced with developer GoodSports that would add both a hotel and sports complex next to the Coliseum. Both plans ultimately fell through.