Reunion Arena

Reunion Arena
Location 777 Sports Street
Dallas, Texas 75207 U.S.
Coordinates 32°46′22″N 96°48′29″W / 32.77278°N 96.80806°W / 32.77278; -96.80806Coordinates: 32°46′22″N 96°48′29″W / 32.77278°N 96.80806°W / 32.77278; -96.80806
Owner City of Dallas
Operator City of Dallas
Capacity

Basketball: 17,772 (1980–1981), 17,134 (1981–1983), 17,007 (1983–1991), 17,502 (1991–1996), 18,042 (1996–1998), 18,121 (1998–1999), 18,187 (1999–2008)
Ice hockey: 16,500 (1980–1991), 16,914 (1991–1995), 16,924 (1995–1997), 16,928 (1997–1999), 17,001 (1999–2008)
Indoor Soccer: 16,626
Concerts:

  • End Stage: 18,628
  • Center Stage: 19,071
  • Half House: 9,663
Construction
Broke ground March 15, 1978[1]
Opened April 28, 1980[2]
Closed June 30, 2008
Demolished November 17, 2009
Construction cost $27 million
($77.5 million in 2016 dollars[3])
Architect Harwood K. Smith & Partners, Inc.
Structural engineer Paul Gugliotta Consulting Engineers, Inc.[4]
General contractor Henry C. Beck Co.[5]
Tenants
Dallas Mavericks (NBA) (1984–2001)
Dallas Tornado (NASL indoor) (1980–1981)
Dallas Sidekicks (MISL) (1984–2004)
Dallas Texans (AFL) (1990–1993)
Dallas Stars (NHL) (1993–2001)
Dallas Stallions (RHI) (1999)
Dallas Desperados (AFL) (2003)

Reunion Arena was an indoor arena located in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas. The arena served as the primary home of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks and the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars. Its capacity held accommodations for 18,187 basketball and 17,001 for ice hockey spectators.

Reunion Arena was demolished in November 2009 and the site was cleared by the end of the year.[6][7]

History

Reunion Arena was completed in 1980 at a cost of US$27 million.[8] It was named for the early mid-19th century commune, La Reunion. Reunion Arena was notable for two lasts: it was the last NBA or NHL arena to be built without luxury suites, and it was the last NHL arena to still use an American Sign and Indicator scoreboard (though not the last in the NBA—see Charlotte Coliseum). The color matrix messageboards on that scoreboard were replaced in 1991 with Sony Jumbotron video screens.

Reunion Arena also hosted the WCT Tennis Tournament in the 1980s, including Virginia Slims Invitational Tournament. Due to scheduling conflicts in 1984, the WCT Tennis Tournament forced the Dallas Mavericks to play Game 5 of their first ever playoff series at Moody Coliseum, against the Seattle SuperSonics. While Southern Methodist University competed in the Southwest Conference, Reunion Arena was known by University of Arkansas Razorbacks fans, as Barnhill South, due to the big following by the Arkansas fans away from home; the Barnhill Arena was the home to all UA games until 1993. Reunion Arena hosted the Southwest Conference's basketball tournament in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as the 1986 NCAA Final Four.

In 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton visited the arena to watch the University of Arkansas basketball team play in the NCAA Tournament.

In late 2005, the arena and the Dallas Convention Center were used as the primary Dallas shelters for evacuees of Hurricane Katrina.

Events

The arena featured 30,000 ft² (2,790 m²) of floor space and had great sightlines, making it ideal for a number of events and games, including many high school graduations. While the first concert at Reunion was billed as The Who on July 2, 1980, May 9, 1980 was the first time a musical act performed at Reunion. P-Funk performed touring with SHOWCO sound and lights. Two other concerts played there in late June: Foghat and Pat Travers on June 25, 1980; and Ted Nugent, Scorpions, and Def Leppard on June 26, 1980. The rock band Journey played three consecutive shows at the arena in July 1983, and again in December 1986. Van Halen played three shows in June 1984, Judas Priest played June 27, 1986 recording the entire show which parts can be found on the Priest...Live! album. A full concert DVD was released as well. Pink Floyd played three consecutive shows at Reunion in November 1987, and Guns N' Roses played a show in December 1987. Pop songstress Whitney Houston played two sold-out concerts at Reunion in September 1987. The video for the Scorpions' song "Still Loving You" was filmed there, and in 1985 Mötley Crüe shot the video of the song "Home Sweet Home" there as well.

Country music superstar Garth Brooks filmed his first television special, This Is Garth Brooks, in the arena during two sold-out concerts in September 1991. The concert became noteworthy after Brooks and guitarist Ty England took two guitars together and smashed them on stage. Another country music star, Shania Twain, once performed her Come on Over Tour in the arena on September 12, 1998 and was filmed in her first DVD released Shania Twain Live.

Reunion was also a venue that was frequently used by World Class Championship Wrestling in the 1980s, in which the organization held many, if not all of its bi-monthly Star Wars events.

Home teams

The arena was the home of the Dallas Mavericks from 1980 to 2001 and the Dallas Stars from 1993 to 2001. Both teams moved to the American Airlines Center in 2001. The Dallas Desperados Arena Football team used the arena for its 2003 season but ultimately returned to American Airlines Center.

The arena's last remaining full-time sports tenant was the MISL Dallas Sidekicks, but the club was inactive after the fall of 2004.

Closure and demolition

Reunion Arena, late October 2009

After a unanimous vote by the Dallas City Council, Reunion Arena officially closed on June 30, 2008. In August 2008, the council said it would implode the arena if it could find an entity willing to foot the bill. The council hoped for the implosion to be part of a movie scene with the film company picking up the tab for the implosion. When no filmmaker seemed interested, the city decided to demolish it using other methods, a process which took several months.[9]

Demolition was officially completed on November 17, 2009 and the site was completely cleared by the end of the year. Post-demolition, the site has seen little use. In 2011, Prince was to perform as part of Super Bowl XLV-related festivities, but the show was canceled due to inclement weather. And in September 2012, Cirque du Soleil’s Koozå took place here. As of October 2013, the adjacent parking garage remained standing and there were no plans for construction on the site.

Notable events

See also

References

  1. "Dallas Would Welcome NBA Franchise". Odessa American. February 21, 1978. p. 14. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  2. "Reunion Arena". City of Dallas. 2006. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  3. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  4. "Arena Is at Foot of Reunion Tower in Dallas' New Convention Complex". Engineering News-Record (McGraw-Hill Companies) 203 (1–13): 24.
  5. "April Up Front". D Magazine. April 1, 1979. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  6. Dallas City Council approved an extension by 84 days, to make the total number of days for demolition to 300. August 12, 2009 Council Minutes.
  7. "Reunion Arena Comes Crashing Down". WFAA (Dallas). November 17, 2009. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  8. "Reunion Arena". Ballparks.com. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  9. Levinthal, Dave (August 19, 2008). "Hey filmmakers! Dallas Wants You to Blow Up Reunion Arena and Texas Stadium Both". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  10. 1980 The Game North American Tour Ultimate Queen. Retrieved September 1, 2011
  11. "Linda Ronstadt's promo ad for live Dallas radio concert broadcast". Lindaronstadt.com. Retrieved November 4, 2007.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reunion Arena.
Preceded by
-
Home of the
Dallas Mavericks

1980–2001
Succeeded by
American Airlines Center
Preceded by
Met Center
Home of the
Dallas Stars

1993–2001
Succeeded by
American Airlines Center
Preceded by
American Airlines Center
Home of the
Dallas Desperados

2003
Succeeded by
American Airlines Center
Preceded by
Rupp Arena
NCAA Men's Division I
Basketball Tournament
Finals Venue

1986
Succeeded by
Louisiana Superdome
Preceded by
Hoosier Dome
Host of the
NBA All-Star Game

1986
Succeeded by
Kingdome
Preceded by
-
Home of the
Dallas Stallions (RHI)

1999
Succeeded by
none
Preceded by
Cotton Bowl
Home of the
Dallas Tornado

1980–1981
Succeeded by
none
Preceded by
-
Home of the
Dallas Sidekicks

1984–2004
Succeeded by
none
Preceded by
-
Home of the
Dallas Texans

1990–1993
Succeeded by
none
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