The building fell into obscurity after the opening of the Capital Centre in suburban Landover, Maryland, in 1973. In 1970, Harry Lynn had proactively sold the Coliseum knowing he could not compete with the bigger and better venue being built by his friend Abe Pollin. The Ice-Capades, circus, wrestling moved out. The Near Northeast and H Street neighborhood had also suffered dramatically from the 1968 riots following Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. The arena could only rely on soul concerts, roller derbies and later rock concerts which could cause problems. Subsequently, the arena was closed in 1985 to avoid the problems and the building was in a state of disrepair with shattered windows and peeling paint.