Richfield Coliseum

Richfield Coliseum

The Palace on the Prairie[1]
Aerial view of the Coliseum and neighboring farms in 1975
Location	2923 Streetsboro Road Richfield, Ohio 44286 United States
Coordinates	41°14′43″N 81°35′38″W / 41.24528°N 81.59389°WCoordinates: 41°14′43″N 81°35′38″W / 41.24528°N 81.59389°W
Owner	Gund Business Enterprises, Inc.
Operator	Gund Business Enterprises, Inc.
Capacity	Basketball: 20,273 Ice hockey: 18,544
Construction
Broke ground	March 16, 1973
Opened	October 26, 1974[2]
Closed	September 24, 1994[2]
Demolished	May 21, 1999
Construction cost	$36 million[2] ($173 million in 2016 dollars[3])
Architect	George E. Ross Architects, Inc.[4]
Tenants
Cleveland Barons (NHL) (1976–1978) Cleveland Crusaders (WHA) (1974–1976) Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) (1974–1994) Cleveland Nets (WTT) (1975–1977) Cleveland Force (MISL) (1978–1988) Cleveland Crunch (MSL) (1989–1992) Cleveland Lumberjacks (IHL) (1992–1994) Cleveland Thunderbolts (AFL) (1992–1994)

Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, roughly halfway between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974 as a replacement for the Cleveland Arena, and had a seating capacity of 20,273 for basketball. It was the main arena for the Northeast Ohio region until 1994, when it was replaced by Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland. The Coliseum stood vacant for five years before it was purchased and razed by the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in 1999. The site of the building was converted to a meadow and is part of the national park.

The arena was primarily the home to the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), developed by Cavaliers owner Nick Mileti, who also owned the Cleveland Crusaders of the World Hockey Association. Over the years it had additional tenants such as the Cleveland Barons of the National Hockey League, Cleveland Force of Major Soccer League, Cleveland Crunch of Major Indoor Soccer League, the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League, and the Cleveland Thunderbolts of the Arena Football League. In a 2012 interview with ESPN's Bill Simmons, basketball great Larry Bird said that it was his favorite arena to play in. The Coliseum was the site of Bird's final game in the NBA. Richfield Coliseum hosted the 1987, 1988 and 1992 editions of WWE's Survivor Series pay-per-view.

It hosted the 1981 NBA All-Star Game and The Buckeye Homecoming, the 1983 professional boxing match bout between Michael Dokes and Gerrie Coetzee. It was also the site of the March 24, 1975 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner, which in part inspired the movie Rocky.^[5]

The Coliseum was a regular concert venue, with its first event being a concert by Frank Sinatra and the last being a concert by Roger Daltrey in 1994, which was also the last official event at the arena. The first rock concert at the Richfield Coliseum was Stevie Wonder in October 1974.^[6]

History

The arena, which opened in 1974, replaced the then-decrepit Cleveland Arena, which had 12,500+ boxing capacity, 10,000+ otherwise. The new arena seated 20,273 for basketball and 18,544 for hockey, and was one of the first indoor arenas to contain luxury boxes. Nick Mileti was the driving force behind the Coliseum's construction, believing that its location in northern Summit County south of Cleveland near the confluence of the Ohio Turnpike and Interstates 77 and 271 was ideally suited given the growth of urban sprawl. The Coliseum was built in Richfield to draw fans from both of Northeast Ohio's major cities, as nearly 5 million Ohioans lived within less than an hour's drive (in good weather) from the Coliseum. While the arena's location hindered attendance somewhat, nevertheless, the Cavaliers' average attendance was over 18,000 per game each of the last 2 seasons at the Coliseum.

Attendance hindrances

Though a large arena at the time of construction, it had only one concourse for both levels, which became crowded during games at which the attendance was anywhere close to capacity. The Coliseum's real drawback was that the luxury suites, which generate much revenue, were at the uppermost level and as such were the worst seats in the house. Once plans for Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland were announced in 1991, where the suites were much closer to the playing area, the Coliseum became economically obsolete.

Another hindrance to attendance was the arena's location at the intersection of Interstate 271 and Ohio State Route 303, which was a rural, two-lane highway outside of Richfield. As the only true access to the arena was directly at the interchange, traffic became an issue with every Coliseum event, especially with lake-effect snow from Lake Erie providing another obstacle to drivers during the winter months.

Demolition and environmental remediation

After lying vacant for five years, the arena was torn down in 1999, between March 30^[7] and May 21,^[8] and the arena and surrounding parking areas were allowed to be returned to woodland as part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, now Cuyahoga Valley National Park.^[9] Two years later it was noted that the site appeared to have no trace of the former building,^[10] although a widened section of Route 303 reveals its location.

The site is now a grassy meadow and has become an important area for wildlife. Birds such as the Eastern meadowlark, bobolink, and various sparrows now inhabit the area. This has caused the site to become popular with local birders.^[11][12] Other birds that are frequently seen are American goldfinch, red-winged blackbird, turkey vulture (buzzard), red-tailed hawk, and American kestrel.

In 1997, the hardwood floor and baskets were sold to Grace Christian School of Staunton, Virginia for a price of $26,000.^[13]

Seating capacity

The seating capacity for basketball was as follows:^[14]

• 20,900 (1974–1988)
• 20,273 (1988–1994)

Concerts

List of Concerts 

• Frank Sinatra – October 26, 1974, September 23, 1975, June 15, 1978, March 22, 1988, with Sammy Davis, Jr. and November 7, 1992
• Stevie Wonder – October 28, 1974 and November 16, 1980
• Elton John – November 4, 1974, with Kiki Dee, August 1–2, 1976, September 29, 1980 and April 23, 1993
• Yes – November 22, 1974, with Gryphon, August 21, 1976, with Natural Gas, August 17, 1977, with Donovan and the Dukes, September 19, 1978, September 20, 1980, May 2, 1984, February 16, 1988 and April 29, 1991
• Deep Purple – December 6, 1974, with the Electric Light Orchestra and Elf, February 20–21, 1985, with Giuffria and May 11, 1987, with Bad Company
• Led Zeppelin – January 24, 1975 and April 27–28, 1977
• Jethro Tull – February 21, 1975, August 3, 1976, March 23, 1977, October 27, 1978, with Uriah Heep, October 26, 1979, October 15, 1980, with Whitesnake and October 16, 1984
• Alice Cooper – April 4, 1975, with Suzi Quatro, May 5, 1978, with Jay Ferguson, February 21, 1979, with the Babys and July 25, 1980, with Billy Squier and Triumph
• John Denver – April 26, 1975 (2 shows), April 17–18, 1978 and March 23, 1980
• Eric Clapton – July 4, 1975, with Santana, June 2, 1979, with Muddy Waters, April 23, 1987, with the Robert Cray Band, April 17, 1990 and May 20, 1992
• Elvis Presley and the TCB Band – July 10 and 18, 1975 and October 23, 1976
• Eagles – July 22, with Dan Fogelberg and October 21–22, 1975, March 31–April 1, 1977, with Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band and October 21–22, 1979
• Faces – August 23, 1975
• The Doobie Brothers – September 16, 1975
• The Allman Brothers Band – November 21, 1975, with Muddy Waters and August 26, 1990, with George Thorogood and the Destroyers
• The Beach Boys – November 24, 1975, with Dave Mason and January 13, 1977
• The Who – December 9, 1975, December 6, 1979 and December 13–14, 1982, with Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul
• Peter Frampton – January 28, 1976, with Gary Wright and June 15, 1979
• KISS – February 1 and September 3, 1976, January 8, 1978, July 18–19, 1979, with New England, February 22, 1983, with the Plasmatics, February 22, with Vandenberg and December 14, with Queensrÿche, 1984, December 11, 1985, January 15, 1988, with Ted Nugent, June 9, 1990, with Slaughter and Faster Pussycat and November 29, 1992, with Great White
• The Robin Trower Band – March 22, 1976, with Little Richard and the Stampeders
• Lynyrd Skynyrd – April 18, 1976, with Golden Earring and October 25, 1987, with the Rossington Band
• Wings – May 10, 1976
• Blue Öyster Cult – June 28, with ZZ Top and Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and December 31, with Uriah Heep and Point Blank, 1976, March 25, 1978, with Be-Bop Deluxe and the Jam, October 7, 1979, with Rainbow, October 27, 1981, with Foghat and Whitford/St. Holmes and January 8, 1984, with Dokken and Aldo Nova
• Poco – July 13, 1976, with the Stills–Young Band
• Fleetwood Mac – July 23, 1976, with Nils Lofgren and J. D. Souther, September 26, 1977, with Kenny Loggins, August 26, 1978, May 20–21, 1980, with Christopher Cross, October 13, 1987 and November 20, 1990
• Aerosmith – July 28–29, 1976, October 22, 1978, with Golden Earring, December 8, 1982, with Nazareth and Rose Tattoo, July 15 and 17, 1984, with Orion the Hunter, May 23, 1986, with Ted Nugent, November 29, 1987, with Dokken, July 19, 1988, with Guns N' Roses, July 1, 1993, with Jackyl and August 3, 1994, with Jackyl
• Neil Diamond – August 6, 1976, December 6–7, 1978, June 4–5, 1982, December 18–20, 1983 and January 19–20, 1989
• Electric Light Orchestra – August 30, 1976 and October 11, 1981, with Ellen Foley
• Jefferson Starship – August 31, 1976, with Jeff Beck
• Black Sabbath – November 28, 1976, with Boston, September 15, 1978, with Van Halen, October 12, 1980, with Blue Öyster Cult and Shakin' Street and December 8, 1981, with the Alvin Lee Band
• Foghat – December 4, 1976, with the Climax Blues Band and Be-Bop Deluxe, February 20, 1978, with Starz, August 12, 1981 and May 12, 1983, with Triumph
• Queen – January 23, with Thin Lizzy and November 27, 1977, November 25, 1978, September 21, 1980, with Dakota and July 31, 1982, with Billy Squier
• Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – February 17, 1977, August 30 and December 31, 1978–January 1, 1979, October 6–7, 1980, July 29–30, 1981, July 8–9, 1984, March 13–14, 1988 and August 21–22, 1992 (without the E Street Band)
• Boston – February 24, 1977, October 18, 1978, with Sammy Hagar and September 23–24, 1987, with Farrenheit
• Genesis – February 27, 1977, April 7, 1978, June 11, 1980 (2 shows), November 22, 1981, December 4–5, 1983 and January 25–27, 1987
• Kansas – March 22, with the Atlanta Rhythm Section and December 2, with Pablo Cruise, 1977 and August 18, 1979, with the Tubes
• Bad Company – July 22, 1977 and May 15, 1979, with Carillo
• Chicago – October 30, 1977
• Rod Stewart – November 3, 1977, with Air Supply, May 3 and 5, 1979, January 20, 1982, December 3, 1988, January 15, 1992 and March 4, 1994
• The Kinks – November 25, 1977, with Hall and Oates and Network, September 13, 1980, with John Mellencamp, June 4, 1983 and February 14 and March 14, 1985, with Donnie Iris and the Cruisers
• Utopia – December 31, 1977, with Point Blank and the Michael Stanley Band, December 31, 1979–January 1, 1980, with Rick Derringer, April 2, 1981 and April 26, 1985, with the Tubes
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer – January 25, 1978, with Jay Ferguson
• Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band – March 31, with Sweet and December 22–23, with Molly Hatchet, 1978, June 2–3, 1983 and February 19, 1987, with the Georgia Satellites
• David Bowie – April 22, 1978, July 29, 1983 and June 19–20, 1990
• Michael Stanley Band – May 27, 1978 with REO Speedwagon and Cheap Trick, July 20, 1979 with Eddie Money, December 30, 1980–January 1, 1981 with John Cougar and the Zone, December 31, 1981–January 1, 1982 with Novo Combo and January 1, 1983
• Rainbow – July 28, 1978, with Black Oak Arkansas and May 22, 1982, with Iron Maiden
• Crosby, Stills & Nash – August 9, 1978 and July 29, 1990
• Neil Young – September 22, 1978, with Crazy Horse, February 21, 1983, August 21, 1985, with the International Harvesters, October 10, 1986, with Crazy Horse and January 31, 1991, with Crazy Horse, Sonic Youth and Social Distortion
• Billy Joel – October 11, 1978, July 1, 1980, March 23, 1984, October 29, 1986, January 11, 1987, February 26 and July 17, 1990 and January 25 and March 17, 1994
• Bob Dylan – October 20, 1978
• Heart – November 17, 1978 and June 6–7, 1980, with the Ian Hunter Band
• Hall & Oates – November 24, 1978, with Ambrosia and City Boy, March 16, 1982, with Donnie Iris and the Cruisers and February 24, 1983, with Steel Breeze
• The Moody Blues – December 1, 1978, with Jimmie Spheeris
• The J. Geils Band – December 3, 1978, with Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, April 12, 1980, with 3-D and December 10, 1981, with Red Rider
• Styx – December 15, 1978, with Angel, October 11, 1979, with Gamma and April 9, 1981
• Ted Nugent – December 29, 1978, with The Starz and September 4, 1980
• Foreigner – January 12 and November 2, with Rick Derringer, 1979 and August 27, 1985, with Giuffria
• Rush – February 3, 1979, with April Wine, February 18, 1980, with Max Webster, May 7–8, 1981, with FM, November 2–3, 1982, with the Rory Gallagher Band, July 5–6, 1984, with the Gary Moore Band, December 19, 1985, with the Steve Morse Band, December 17, 1987, with Tommy Shaw, June 8, 1990, with Mr. Big, November 17–18, 1991, with Eric Johnson and March 23, 1994, with Primus
• Angel – March 16, 1979, with Tin Huey and Breathless
• Nazareth – March 26, 1979 and March 12, 1981
• Roxy Music – April 4, 1979 and May 18, 1983
• The Tubes – April 21, 1979, with April Wine and Squeeze and July 18, 1981
• The New Barbarians – May 8, 1979
• Supertramp – June 8, 1979 and September 11, 1983
• REO Speedwagon – August 26, 1979, April 17, 1981 and August 10, 1982, with Survivor
• Bee Gees – September 18, 1979, with the Sweet Inspirations
• The Ian Hunter Band – September 22, 1979, with the David Johansen Group and October 8, 1981, with Norman Nardini and the Tigers
• Kenny Rogers – October 6, 1979, with Dottie West and the Oak Ridge Boys
• Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band – March 21, 1980, with J. D. Souther
• Linda Ronstadt – April 5, 1980
• Van Halen – April 29, 1980, May 27 and August 2, 1981, August 21, 1982, March 14, 1984, with Autograph and July 25–26, 1986, with Bachman–Turner Overdrive
• Cheap Trick – May 1, 1980 with the Romantics and February 15, 1981 with UFO
• Journey – May 9 and 11, 1980, with the Babys, May 13–14, 1982, with the Greg Kihn Band, May 24–26, 1983, with Bryan Adams and October 11–12, 1986, with Glass Tiger
• Frank Zappa – November 10, 1980
• Outlaws – November 14, 1980, with Foghat
• Judas Priest – May 1, 1981, September 22, 1982, with Iron Maiden, April 6, 1984, with Great White, May 30, 1986, with Dokken, August 17, 1988, with Cinderella, December 2, 1990, with Megadeth and Testament and August 7, 1991, with Alice Cooper, Testament, Motörhead, Metal Church and The Dangerous Toys
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – June 16, 1981, March 19, 1983 and February 13, 1990, with Lenny Kravitz
• ZZ Top – June 17, 1981, July 18–19, 1983, with Sammy Hagar, April 16, 1986, with Jimmy Barnes and February 11–12, 1991, with the Black Crowes
• Dan Fogelberg – October 31, 1981
• The Rolling Stones – November 16–17, 1981, with Etta James
• AC/DC – November 29, 1981, with Midnight Flyer, December 14, 1983, with Fastway, September 22, 1985, with Yngwie Malmsteen, May 27–28, 1988, November 23, 1990, with Love/Hate and July 3, 1991, with L.A. Guns
• The Police – January 29, 1982, with the Go-Go's and July 30, 1983, with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• Ozzy Osbourne – January 31, 1982, with UFO and the Starfighters, February 7, 1984, with Mötley Crüe and Waysted, April 9, 1986, with Metallica, December 12, 1988, with Anthrax and July 24, 1992, with Slaughter and Ugly Kid Joe
• Rick Springfield – March 19, 1982, with the Innocents
• Hank Williams, Jr. – April 22, 1982, with Ricky Skaggs and Terri Gibbs
• Alabama – April 30, 1982, with Mickey Gilley and Johnny Lee
• Asia – June 18, 1982
• Kool & the Gang – July 24, 1982, with Ashford & Simpson, Stephanie Mills, Peabo Bryson and Patrice Rushen
• Scorpions – August 3, 1982, with Iron Maiden and Girlschool, May 30, 1984, with Bon Jovi, September 25, 1988, with Kingdom Come and April 14, 1991, with Trixter and Great White
• Olivia Newton-John – August 28, 1982
• Peter Gabriel – November 24, 1982, November 18, 1986, with Youssou N'Dour and July 3, 1993
• Twisted Sister – January 28, 1983 and January 12, 1986, with Dokken and Big Bam Boo
• Phil Collins – February 7, 1983, June 25–26, 1985, August 19–20, 1990 and July 11–12, 1994
• Billy Squier – March 31, 1983, with Def Leppard
• Prince and the Revolution – April 9, 1983, with the Time and Vanity 6 and December 5–6, 1984, with Apollonia 6 and Sheila E.
• Bette Midler – July 20, 1983
• Iron Maiden – August 13, 1983, January 6, 1985, with Twisted Sister, March 14, 1987, with Waysted, July 3, 1988, with Megadeth and Frehley's Comet and February 5, 1991, with Anthrax
• Robert Plant – September 4, 1983, July 15–16, 1985 and October 23, 1988, with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
• Duran Duran – February 27, 1984 and January 24, 1989, with the Pursuit of Happiness
• .38 Special – March 20, 1984, with Golden Earring
• Culture Club – April 9, 1984, with the Exotic Birds
• Lionel Richie – June 18–19, 1984 and November 22–23, 1986, with Sheila E.
• Tina Turner – August 22, 1984 and August 22, 1985, with Glenn Frey
• Whitesnake – November 29, 1984 and July 15, 1988
• Triumph – December 31, 1984 and November 30, 1986
• Dio – January 10, with Dokken and October 25, with Rough Cutt, 1985
• Roger Waters and the Bleeding Heart Band – March 20, 1985
• U2 – March 25, 1985, with Lone Justice and March 26, 1992, with the Pixies
• The Firm – April 20, 1985
• Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – August 15, 1985, with the Power Station
• Luciano Pavarotti – September 15, 1985
• Mötley Crüe – September 21, 1985, with Y&T, July 24 and August 1, 1987, with Whitesnake, December 3, 1989 and July 5, 1990, with Johnny Crash
• Ratt – October 21, 1985, with Bon Jovi, February 5, 1989, with Britny Fox and Kix and November 18, 1990, with Vixen
• John Mellencamp – December 12, 1985 and December 3, 1987
• The Hooters – March 13, 1986
• Simple Minds – May 13, 1986, with the Call
• Emerson, Lake & Powell – September 23, 1986
• David Lee Roth – September 29, 1986, with Cinderella and April 14, 1988, with Poison
• Cyndi Lauper – December 14, 1986, with Eddie Money
• The Pretenders – March 26, 1987, with Iggy Pop
• Bon Jovi – March 30 and May 6, 1987, with Cinderella and March 25, 1989, with Skid Row
• Huey Lewis and the News – April 3, 1987, with the Robert Cray Band
• Bryan Adams – July 21, 1987, with the Hooters, March 17, 1992, with the Storm and May 21, 1994
• Madonna – August 4–5, 1987, with Level 42
• Def Leppard – February 2, 1988, with Tesla and October 24, 1992
• INXS – March 15, 1988, with Public Image Ltd and March 11, 1991, with the Soup Dragons
• Pink Floyd – August 12–14, 1988
• George Michael – September 3, 1988
• Michael Jackson – October 10–11, 1988
• Metallica – November 26, 1988, with Queensrÿche, July 8, 1989, with the Cult and November 30–December 1, 1991
• Poison – February 25, 1989, with Tesla and November 29, 1990, with Warrant
• Cinderella – March 18, 1989, with Winger and the BulletBoys
• R.E.M. – April 6, 1989, with the Indigo Girls
• The Cure – August 29, 1989, with Shelleyan Orphan and July 20, 1992, with the Cranes
• Tesla – September 23, 1989, with Great White and Badlands
• New Kids on the Block – November 19, 1989, with Tiffany
• Barry Manilow – December 14, 1989
• Richard Marx – January 26, 1990, with Poco
• Janet Jackson – March 12 and September 4, 1990, with Chuckii Booker and January 3, with Tony! Toni! Toné! and July 19, 1994
• The Highwaymen – March 16, 1990 and April 14, 1993
• Cher – July 9, 1990
• Grateful Dead – September 7–8, 1990, September 4–6, 1991, June 8–9, 1992, March 14, 1993 and March 20–21, 1994
• MC Hammer – October 19, 1990, with En Vogue and Vanilla Ice
• Paul Simon – March 20, 1991
• Queensrÿche – May 25, 1991, with Suicidal Tendencies
• Guns N' Roses – June 4–5, 1991, with Skid Row
• Slayer – June 20, 1991, with Megadeth, Anthrax and Alice in Chains
• Dire Straits – February 20, 1992
• Garth Brooks – December 11, 1992
• Damn Yankees – December 20, 1992, with Slaugher and Jackyl
• Billy Ray Cyrus – August 27, 1993
• Steely Dan – September 26, 1993
• Depeche Mode – October 26, 1993, with The The
• Pantera – June 23, 1994, with Biohazard and Sepultura
• Whitney Houston – June 26, 1994
• Roger Daltrey – September 1, 1994

References

1. Chakerian, Peter (September 24, 2014). "Remembering the Richfield Coliseum: From 1974 to 1994, 'The Palace on the Prairie' was Northeast Ohio's sports, entertainment mecca". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved December 10, 2015.
2. The Richfield Coliseum
3. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
4. "Levin Serious About New Arena for Hub". United Press International. May 12, 1977. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
5. Chuck Wepner's official website. Retrieved January 12, 2008.
6. Scott, Jane. "Stevie Wonder rocks Coliseum" The Plain Dealer October 29, 1974: B2
7. Albrecht, Brian E. (March 30, 1999). "Death of the Palace on the Prairie". The Plain Dealer (Cleveland). Retrieved September 9, 2008.
8. "Ruins of the Coliseum". The Plain Dealer (Cleveland). May 22, 1999. Retrieved September 9, 2008.
9. Chilcote, Lee (November 1, 1999). "The Rise and Fall of Richfield Coliseum". Land & People (The Trust for Public Land). Retrieved April 12, 2012.
10. Albrecht, Brian E. (June 25, 2001). "Greening of the Coliseum". The Plain Dealer (Cleveland). Retrieved September 9, 2008.
11. McCarty, James F. (June 5, 2012). "Coliseum Grasslands Offer Intimate Views of Some of the Most-threatened Bird Species: Aerial View". The Plain Dealer (Cleveland). Retrieved June 10, 2012.
12. "Former Coliseum Property". Cuyahoga Valley National Park website (National Park Service). Retrieved June 10, 2012.
13. Sladek, Jon (October 29, 2014). "Remnants of Richfield". Cleveland Scene (Cleveland, OH). p. 13.
14. "2014–15 Cleveland Cavaliers Media Guide". National Basketball Association.

External links

• Details of the demolition at Independence Excavating's website, archived at Wayback Machine
• Arenas by Munsey & Suppes