XL Center Veterans Memorial Coliseum
XL Center Logo
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| Former names | Hartford Civic Center (1975–2007) |
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| Location | 1 Civic Center Plaza, Hartford, Connecticut 06103 |
| Coordinates | 41°46′06″N 72°40′37″W / 41.76833°N 72.67694°WCoordinates: 41°46′06″N 72°40′37″W / 41.76833°N 72.67694°W |
| Owner | City of Hartford |
| Operator | Global Spectrum |
| Capacity | Basketball: 15,564 Hockey: 14,750 |
| Surface | 200 × 85 ft (hockey) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 2, 1971 |
| Opened | January 9, 1975 |
| Closed | 1978–1980 (roof collapse, renovations) |
| Construction cost | $30 million ($134 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect |
Kling & Associates Danos and Associates |
| Project manager | Gilbane Building Company |
| Structural engineer | Fraoli, Blum, and Yesselman, Engineers |
| General contractor | William L. Crow Construction Company |
| Tenants | |
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Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) (1997–present) Connecticut Huskies (NCAA) (1975-1978, 1980–present, part-time) New England / Hartford Whalers (WHA / NHL) (1975–1978, 1980–1997) Connecticut Coyotes (AFL) (1995–1996) New England Blizzard (ABL) (1996–1998) New England Sea Wolves (AFL) (1999–2000) Boston Celtics (NBA) (1975–1995, part-time) Hartford Hellions (MISL) (1980–1981) |
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The XL Center (originally known as the Hartford Civic Center) is a multi-purpose arena and convention center located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut. It is owned by the City of Hartford and operated by Spectra. In December 2007, the Center was renamed when the arena's naming rights were sold to XL Group insurance company in a 6-year agreement. The arena is ranked the 28th largest among college basketball arenas. Opened in 1974 as the Hartford Civic Center and originally located adjacent to Civic Center Mall, which was demolished in 2004. It consists of two facilities: the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the Exhibition Center.
On March 21, 2007, the CDA selected the Northland/Anschutz Entertainment Group proposal. It was revealed that Northland will assume total responsibility for the building paying for any and all losses, and will keep any profits. In 2012, the oversite for the XL Center along with Rentschler Field was legislated to the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), formerly the Capital City Economic Development Authority (CCEDA). CRDA issued an RFP for management services of both facilities.In February 2013, Spectra, a subsidiary of Comast in Philadelphia, was chosen to take over operations of the XL Center and Rentschler Field with Ovations Food Services taking over all food and beverage operations.
The Civic Center is the full-time home of the Hartford Wolf Pack AHL hockey team and part-time home of the University of Connecticut men's and women's basketball teams and the Connecticut Huskies men's ice hockey team. Starting in the late 1990s, the UConn men moved most of their important games—including the bulk of their Big East Conference games—to the Coliseum. During the 2011–2012 season, for instance, they played 11 home games at the Coliseum and only eight at their on-campus facility, Gampel Pavilion. This practice continued when the Huskies joined the American Athletic Conference, successor to the original Big East, in 2013. The Uconn Men's Hockey team uses the XL Center as its primary home as the newest member of Hockey East.
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