Dunkin' Donuts Center

Dunkin' Donuts Center
Construction
"The Dunk"


Former names	Providence Civic Center (1972–2001)
Location	101 Sabin Street Providence, Rhode Island 02903
Coordinates	41°49′25″N 71°25′6″W / 41.82361°N 71.41833°W / 41.82361; -71.41833Coordinates: 41°49′25″N 71°25′6″W / 41.82361°N 71.41833°W / 41.82361; -71.41833
Public transit	Providence Station
Owner	Rhode Island Convention Center Authority (2005–present) City of Providence (1972–2005)
Operator	SMG
Capacity	Ice hockey: 11,075 Basketball: 12,400
Surface	Multi-surface
Broke ground	January 1971
Opened	November 3, 1972
Renovated	2008
Construction cost	$13 million ($73.5 million in 2016 dollars^[1]) $80 million (renovation) ($87.9 million in 2016 dollars^[1])
Architect	Ellerbe Associates
General contractor	Dimeo Construction Company^[2]
Tenants
Providence Bruins (AHL) (1992–present) Providence Friars (NCAA) (1972–present) Rhode Island Rams (NCAA) (1973–2002) Providence Reds (AHL) (1972–1976) Rhode Island Reds (AHL) (1976–1977) New England Tea Men (NASL) (1979–1980) New England Steamrollers (AFL) (1988)

The Dunkin' Donuts Center (originally Providence Civic Center) is an indoor arena located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1972, as a home court for the emerging Providence College men's basketball program, due to the high demand for tickets to their games in Alumni Hall, as well as for a home arena for the then-Providence Reds, who played in the nearly 50-year-old Rhode Island Auditorium. Current tenants include the Providence Bruins, of the AHL and the Providence College men's basketball team.

In 2001, the arena was named the Dunkin' Donuts Center as part of a naming-rights deal with Dunkin' Donuts.^[3] In December 2005, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority purchased the building from the city of Providence and spent $80 million on an extensive renovation. Major elements of the construction included a significantly expanded lobby and concourse, an enclosed pedestrian bridge from the Rhode Island Convention Center, a new center-hung LED video display board, a new restaurant, 20 luxury suites, four new bathrooms, and all-new seats with cupholders in the arena bowl. Behind-the-scenes improvements included a new HVAC system, ice chiller, and a first-of-its-kind fire suppression system. These renovations were completed in October 2008.^[4]

In 2010, the arena hosted first and second-round games of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament for the first time since 1996.^[5]

Usage

Sports

Providence College men's basketball

The Providence Friars men's basketball team has been the only major tenant of the arena since its inception, having played almost all of its home basketball games at the arena since 1972. The Providence men's basketball team and their fans have made the Dunk one of the most intimidating environments in recent years for NCAA basketball. On rare occasions, the Providence women's basketball team has played "home" games in the arena, most notably for games against URI or the University of Connecticut, where demand for tickets would be enough to warrant an arena larger than the 2,620-seat Alumni Hall.

Other college sports

The arena has been the site of many collegiate tournaments, including the inaugural 1980 Big East Conference men's basketball tournament; the Division I men's basketball ECAC New England Region Tournament, organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), in 1978 and 1979;^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9] NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament first- and second-round games in 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1996, 2010, and 2016; the 1978 and 1985 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament East Region finals; the inaugural 1985 Hockey East Tournament, as well as the second tournament a year later in 1986 before the tourney made Boston a permanent home; and the 1978, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1995 and 2000 NCAA Frozen Four ice hockey championships. The University of Rhode Island (URI) men's basketball team also played some home basketball games at the Providence Civic Center beginning in 1973, although this practice stopped with the opening of the Ryan Center in 2002.

Professional sports

The Providence Reds (later known as the Rhode Island Reds) hockey team of the American Hockey League (AHL) played at the Providence Civic Center from 1972 to 1977. The New England Tea Men of the North American Soccer League (NASL) played their indoor soccer matches there from 1979–1980 before moving south to Jacksonville, Florida at the start of the 1980–81 indoor season.^[10]^[11]^[12] The Providence Bruins of the AHL began play at the arena in 1992. The New England Steamrollers of the Arena Football League also called the arena home for their single season of existence in 1988.

A number of other professional sporting events, including Harlem Globetrotters basketball games and preseason games for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have been held at the arena.

Other events

The arena has long been a regular stop on WWE tours. It was the site of WWF King of the Ring tournaments four times: from 1987 to 1991, before the event became a pay-per-view, and once after in 1997. In 1994, it hosted the Royal Rumble. On April 25, 1999, the arena was home to the first WWF Backlash pay-per-view event; the final edition of the event was hosted there as well, ten years to the day.^[13] In December 2005 the arena hosted WWE Armageddon. The January 13, 2014 edition of WWE Raw was filmed at the arena. WWE Smackdown filmed two shows at the arena in 2015, on April 21 and August 25.

Frank Sinatra performed 10 times at the then-Providence Civic Center. His first was to a sold-out crowd including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for his Variety Club International Tour on April 15, 1974 and the last on October 3, 1992. During many of Sinatra's performances, Rhode Island State Police would attend, searching for organized crime members in the audience. During a 1979 appearance in Providence, Mayor Buddy Cianci named Sinatra an honorary fire chief, complete with a helmet bearing the name "F. SINATRA" with nickname "Ol' Blue Eyes" beneath.

The Grateful Dead recorded half of their live album, entitled Dick's Picks Volume 12, here on June 26, 1974.

Former Beatle George Harrison held a concert here on December 11, 1974, during his "Dark Horse Tour" (so called because it occurred near the launch of Harrison's Dark Horse Records). Performers included Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Jim Keltner, and Billy Preston. At one point in the show, a girl tried to climb onstage, but was stopped and assaulted by police; Harrison stopped mid-song and shouted "Krishna! Krishna!".

Some of the songs on the Eric Clapton album E. C. Was Here were recorded live at the Civic Center, on June 25, 1975.

The arena played host to The Rolling Thunder Revue Tour on November 4, 1975, headed by Bob Dylan.

David Bowie's concert on May 5, 1978 was one of three recorded for his live album Stage.

The Kinks recorded much of their live album and video, One for the Road at the Civic Center September 23, 1979.

Mayor Buddy Cianci cancelled a concert by the Who in 1979 due to safety concerns after a stampede by fans at the doors of the Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum resulted in 11 deaths. In February 2013, the Who returned and the since-renamed Dunkin' Donuts Center, and offered free tickets to anyone who still had their tickets to the cancelled concert 34 years earlier.

Phish recorded Live Phish Volume 20 on December 29, 1994, Live Phish 04.04.98 and Live Phish 04.05.98 on April 4–5, 1998.

During a live performance of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on May 4, 2014, nine female performers were sent to the hospital after a high wire snapped while they were attempting a routine where they hang by their hair high above the floor. The performers fell from between 25 and 40 feet to the ground, but none suffered life-threatening injuries.^[14]

Gallery

View of the center while empty, after renovations
The arena before Monster Jam, prior to renovations
Arena in hockey configuration, after renovations
Syracuse vs. Providence College men's basketball game in February 2010

References

1 2 "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
↑ "75th Anniversary Flash Timleine". Dimeo Construction. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ "Providence Civic Center and Dunkin' Donuts Seal a Sweet Deal" (Press release). Dunkin Donuts Incorporated. June 14, 2001. Archived from the original on March 21, 2006. Retrieved September 20, 2005.
↑ Parker, Paul Edward (August 31, 2008). "Renovations a Slam Dunk". The Providence Journal. p. F1. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ Grimaldi, Paul (March 21, 2010). "'Impressed? Yes'". The Providence Journal. p. A1. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ "ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments". Varsity Pride. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ "1978 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments". Varsity Pride. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ "1979 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments". Varsity Pride. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ "1978-79 Independent Season Summary". Sports-Reference. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ Associated Press (November 17, 1980). "Tea Men Are Leaving N.E. for New Home in Florida". The Day (New London). p. 28. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ "April 10, 1982 – Jacksonville Tea Men vs. New York Cosmos". Fun While It Lasted. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ "Attendance Project: NASL Indoor". Kenn Blog. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ "WWE News: Backlash 2009 Location, SD Rating, Press Release". 411 Mania. May 12, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
↑ Saffir, Doug; Burgess, Robert (May 4, 2014). "Performers Hurt in Platform Collapse at Providence Circus". The Boston Globe. Retrieved June 10, 2014.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dunkin' Donuts Center.

Events and tenants
Preceded by Olympia Stadium Detroit, Michigan	Host of the Frozen Four 1978	Succeeded by Olympia Stadium Detroit, Michigan
Preceded by Olympia Stadium Detroit, Michigan	Host of the Frozen Four 1980	Succeeded by Duluth Arena Duluth, Minnesota
Preceded by Duluth Arena Duluth, Minnesota	Host of the Frozen Four 1982	Succeeded by Ralph Engelstad Arena Grand Forks, North Dakota
Preceded by Joe Louis Arena Detroit, Michigan	Host of the Frozen Four 1986	Succeeded by Joe Louis Arena Detroit, Michigan
Preceded by Saint Paul Civic Center St. Paul, Minnesota	Host of the Frozen Four 1995	Succeeded by Riverfront Coliseum Cincinnati, Ohio
Preceded by Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim Anaheim, California	Host of the Frozen Four 2000	Succeeded by Pepsi Arena Albany, New York

Current arenas in the American Hockey League

Eastern Conference	Blue Cross Arena (Rochester, NY) Cross Insurance Arena (Portland, ME) Dunkin' Donuts Center (Providence, RI) Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena (Binghamton, NY) Giant Center (Hershey, PA) MassMutual Center (Springfield, MA) Mile One Centre (St. John's, NL) Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza (Wilkes-Barre, PA) Oncenter War Memorial Arena (Syracuse, NY) PPL Center (Allentown, PA) Ricoh Coliseum (Toronto, ON) Times Union Center (Albany, NY) Utica Memorial Auditorium (Utica, NY) Webster Bank Arena (Bridgeport, CT) XL Center (Hartford, CT)

Western Conference	Allstate Arena (Rosemont, IL) AT&T Center (San Antonio, TX) BMO Harris Bank Center (Rockford, IL) BMO Harris Bradley Center (Milwaukee, WI) Bojangles' Coliseum (Charlotte, NC) Citizens Business Bank Arena (Ontario, CA) H-E-B Center at Cedar Park (Cedar Park, TX) MTS Centre (Winnipeg, MB) Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, OH) Rabobank Arena (Bakersfield, CA) SAP Center at San Jose (San Jose, CA) Stockton Arena (Stockton, CA) Valley View Casino Center (San Diego, CA) Van Andel Arena (Grand Rapids, MI) Wells Fargo Arena (Des Moines, IA)

Providence Friars men's basketball

Venues	Bishop Harkins Hall (1926–1955) Alumni Hall (1955–1972) Providence Civic Center/Dunkin Donuts Center (1972–present)

Rivalries	In-state Division I schools

Culture & lore	History

People	Head coaches

Seasons	1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16

NCAA Final Four appearances in italics

Basketball arenas of the Big East Conference

Men only	Allstate Arena (DePaul) BMO Harris Bradley Center (Marquette) CenturyLink Center Omaha (Creighton) Dunkin' Donuts Center (Providence) Madison Square Garden (St. John's) Prudential Center (Seton Hall) Verizon Center (Georgetown)

Women only	Alumni Hall (Providence) D. J. Sokol Arena (Creighton) McDonough Gymnasium (Georgetown) Al McGuire Center (Marquette) Sullivan Athletic Center (DePaul) Walsh Gymnasium (Seton Hall)

Both sexes	Carnesecca Arena (St. John's) Cintas Center (Xavier) Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler) The Pavilion (Villanova) Wells Fargo Center (Villanova)

New England Steamrollers

Founded in 1988
Folded in 1988
Based in Providence, Rhode Island

The Franchise

Arenas

Providence Civic Center

Head Coaches

Parilli

Hall of Fame Members

Sylvester Bembery

Seasons (1)

1980s	1988

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