Amway Arena

Amway Arena

Amway Arena in April 2010
Former names	Orlando Arena (1989–2000) TD Waterhouse Centre (2000–06)
Location	600 West Amelia Street Orlando, Florida 32801–1107
Coordinates	28°32′56″N 81°23′12″W / 28.54889°N 81.38667°W / 28.54889; -81.38667Coordinates: 28°32′56″N 81°23′12″W / 28.54889°N 81.38667°W / 28.54889; -81.38667
Owner	City of Orlando
Operator	Orlando Venues
Capacity	Basketball: 15,077 (1989–1991) 15,151 (1991–1993) 15,291 (1993–1994) 16,010 (1994–1995) 17,248 (1995–2002) 17,283 (2002–2006) 17,451 (2006–2007) 17,519 (2007–2008) 17,461 (2008–2010) Professional wrestling: 18,432 Arena football: 15,924 Ice hockey: 15,948 Circus: 15,788 Ice skating: 16,882 Concerts: 17,740 (end stage) 18,039 (center stage)
Construction
Broke ground	January 5, 1987
Opened	January 29, 1989
Closed	September 30, 2010
Demolished	December 2011–October 2012
Construction cost	US$110 million ($213 million in 2017 dollars)
Architect	Lloyd Jones Philpot Associates Cambridge Seven Associates
Structural engineer	Walter P Moore
General contractor	Gilbane Building Co.
Tenants
Orlando Magic (NBA) (1989–2010) Orlando Titans (NLL) (2010) Orlando Predators (AFL) (1991–2010) Orlando Sharks (MISL) (2007–2008) Orlando Miracle (WNBA) (1999–2002) Orlando Solar Bears (IHL) (1995–2001) Orlando Rollergators/Jackals (RHI) (1995–1997) Orlando Seals (ACHL/WHA2) (2002–2004)

Amway Arena (originally known as Orlando Arena) was an indoor arena located in Orlando, Florida. It was part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando. The arena was the former home of the Orlando Magic of the NBA and the Orlando Titans of the NLL. It was also the home of the Orlando Solar Bears of the International Hockey League, and the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League. It also hosted many other minor league sports teams, as well as various concerts and other events such as the PlayStation Pro event on the Dew Action Sports Tour and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus annually.

The Amway Arena closed in 2010 and was demolished in 2011-2012.

The city of Orlando was interested in a downtown arena long before there was talk of an NBA franchise. The arena site on West Livingston Street was approved in December 1983, at a time when concerts and other large-scale events were held at the Orange County Convention Center, which is several miles away from downtown. Discussions on financing delayed the project for several years due to concerns of the convention center losing money if an arena was built, as an arena would be a better venue for many of the events previously held at the convention center. By the end of 1985, the city and county reached an agreement on a financing plan that would delay the opening of the arena until the end of the decade (unless the county agreed) so it would not compete with the convention center. The planned site grew 50% from its original plan and consumed three extra blocks south of Lake Dot.

In 1986, support was growing to attempt to bring an NBA franchise to Orlando, and general manager Pat Williams knew that having an arena already under construction would be critical for expansion being approved by the league. Knowing the importance of the arena, the city voted to allow construction to begin before a study of its impact on the area was filed with state and regional planners. Ground broke in January 1987, four months before the NBA Board of Governors made their final decision to bring Orlando into the league.