Bojangles' Coliseum

Bojangles Coliseum (originally Charlotte Coliseum and formerly Independence Arena and Cricket Arena) is an 8,600-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 instead of steel or iron. The dome spans 332 feet in diameter and rises to 112 feet tall.

History

Early years (1955–1988)

Construction began on the Coliseum in 1953 after some delays. Gouldie Odell, who later founded Odell and Associates, Inc., 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 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 had his first performance at the Coliseum in 1956 and his final one in 1977, being 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.

Refurbishment and reopening (1988–2001)

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. However, people soon realized the original Coliseum was nowhere near the end of its useful life. 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.

The Lost Decade (2005–2015)

In 2005, the Checkers departed Cricket Arena for the newly opened Spectrum Center (then known as Charlotte Bobcats Arena, but it would change to Time Warner Cable Arena). 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.

Upgraded for a new age (2015–present)

In November 2014, the arena got a permanent tenant once again when a third Checkers franchise, now in the American Hockey League, announced a tentative agreement with the Charlotte Regional Visitors' Authority to return to Bojangles' Coliseum for the 2015–16 season. The Spectrum had poor sight lines for hockey. This franchise had taken the place of the ECHL Checkers four years earlier. The agreement was pending a Charlotte City Council vote to approve $16 million in funding for renovations in conjunction with the Checkers' return and that December, the city approved the $16 million needed. The renovations would include many modern amenities. This would be the Coliseum's first major renovation since the 1988 refurbishment.

Almost a year to the day when the Checkers announced their return to the Coliseum the renovations were completed and unveiled to the public. Aside from the new seats and score/video boards, other additions also included a sound system (replacing the one used since 1955), locker rooms, a restaurant, updated concessions and repainting the interior.

The Coliseum celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2015. Additional renovations were made in 2016, including upgraded heating/cooling, new internal lighting, and replacing the ice floor among other improvements. In 2018, the city of Charlotte broke ground on a structure that will connect the Coliseum to Ovens Auditorium. Construction is expected to be completed by 2019.

Text imported from Wikipedia article "Bojangles Coliseum" and modified on January 7, 2022 according to the CC-BY-SA 4.0 International license.