Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena

Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (popularly known as Spokane Arena) a multi-purpose arena located in Spokane, Washington, USA. The building is home to the Spokane Chiefs hockey team of the WHL, and the Spokane Shock arena football team of Arena Football 1.
==Facility==
===Construction===
With an aging Spokane Coliseum, along with a need for a larger facility more than twice the coliseum's capacity, the Spokane City Council and Board of Spokane County Commissioners formed the Spokane Public Facilities District (SPFD) to acquire, construct, own and operate sports and entertainment facilities with contiguous parking facilities. In 1990, the SPFD board members unanimously agreed on the following recommendations made by an economic feasibility/market study. The recommendations were:
*To build an arena opposed to a domed stadium
*An arena that could seat 12,000 to 14,000 with expansion capabilities
*To build the new arena on city-owned land located adjacent to the old coliseum with on-site parking for 2,000 automobiles
Voters rejected the Spokane Arena four times in six years before agreeing to build it in 1991.
In the fall of that year, two ballot measures were put out to voters, and passed:
*One, to publicly finance the construction of the arena through a property tax bond issue worth US$38 million
*Two, a measure to validate the SPFD. Validation was important, because it would allow the district to implement a 2% hotel tax to further fund construction
In the fall of 1991, another funding measure was put out to voters and was passed. It involved a 0.1% raise in the sales tax. The passage of all three measures completed the US$44.8 million financining needed to build the arena.
The Spokane Arena broke ground on March 5, 1993, and opened in September 1995.
===Building facts===
The Spokane Arena has a capacity for:
*12,638 for end-stage concerts
*12,494 for center-stage shows
*12,210 for basketball
*10,759 for ice hockey
*10,471 for arena football
*6,951 for half-house shows
 ===Future===
Incorporated into its original design was an area designated for future expansion of the arena. Expansion of the upper bowl would raise the seating capacity of the arena to over 14,000. There are currently no plans to expand the Spokane Arena because there is no current need to do so. Expansion would likely occur only if the city of Spokane was to land a major event, or team that competes in a league that would demand the need to do so.
The Spokane Chiefs, of the WHL, also play their home games at the arena.
The arena hosted the 1998 Memorial Cup, setting an attendance record that was broken the next season.
==External links==
*Spokane Arena website
Category:Western Hockey League arenas
Category:Indoor ice hockey venues in Washington