Alltel Arena
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| Former names | Alltel Arena (1999–2009) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 Verizon Arena Way North Little Rock, Arkansas 72114 |
| Owner | Pulaski County Multi-Purpose Civic Center Facilities Board |
| Operator | Pulaski County Multi-Purpose Civic Center Facilities Board |
| Capacity |
Basketball: 18,000 Hockey: 17,000 Arena Football: 16,000 |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 22, 1997 |
| Opened | October 2, 1999 |
| Construction cost |
$80 million ($115 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | Civic Center Design Team (CCDT): Burt Taggart & Associates, Architects/Engineers, The Wilcox Group, Garver & Garver Engineering and Rosser International of Atlanta |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Engineers PC |
| General contractor | Turner/Vratsinas |
| Tenants | |
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Arkansas Diamonds (IFL) (2000–2010) Arkansas RimRockers (NBA D-League) (2004–2007) Arkansas–Little Rock Trojans (NCAA) (1999–2005) Arkansas Riverblades (ECHL) (1999–2003) |
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Verizon Arena (formerly known as the Alltel Arena) is an 18,000-seat multi-purpose arena in North Little Rock, Arkansas, directly across the Arkansas River from downtown Little Rock. The arena opened in October 1999. It is Little Rock's main entertainment venue.
The Arkansas–Little Rock Trojans played home games at the arena from the time when the arena opened until the team moved in 2005 to a new arena, the Jack Stephens Center, on the school's campus in Little Rock. The Arkansas RiverBlades, a defunct ice hockey team of the ECHL, the Arkansas RimRockers, a defunct minor league basketball team of the NBA Development League, and the Arkansas Diamonds, a defunct Indoor Football League team, also played at the arena. The arena is also used for other events, including concerts, rodeos, auto racing, professional wrestling, and trade shows and conventions.
On August 1, 1995, Pulaski County, Arkansas, voters approved a one-year, one-cent sales tax for the purpose of building a multi-purpose arena, expanding the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, and making renovations to the Main Street bridge between Little Rock and North Little Rock. $20 million of the sales tax proceeds went toward the Convention Center expansion, with the remainder used to build the arena.
That money, combined with a $20 million contribution from the State of Arkansas, $17 million from private sources and $7 million from Little Rock-based Alltel Corporation paid for the construction of a 377,000-square-foot (35,000 m2) arena, which cost nearly $80 million to build. When the doors opened in 1999, the facility was paid for and there was no public indebtedness.
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