Reunion Arena

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name=Reunion Arena
nickname=


location=777 Sports Street
Dallas, Texas 75207
broke_ground=
opened=1980
closed=2008
owner=The City of Dallas
construction_cost=US$27 million
architect=HKS, Inc. (Principal-in-Charge Jack Yardley, FAIA; Project Manager, Jack Denton, AIA)
tenants=Dallas Mavericks (NBA) (1980–2001)
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)
1986 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
seating_capacity=Basketball: 17,293
Hockey: 17,001
Indoor Soccer: 16,626
Concerts - End Stage: 18,628; Center Stage: 19,071; Half House: 9,663

Reunion Arena was an indoor arena in the Reunion district of downtown Dallas, Texas (USA). The arena held 17,300 for basketball and 17,000 for ice hockey.

History

Reunion Arena was completed in 1980 at a cost of $27 million. [ [http://www.ballparks.com BallParks.com] - [http://basketball.ballparks.com/NBA/DallasMavericks/index.htm Reunion Arena] . Retrieved 25 October 2006.] It was named for the early mid-nineteenth century commune, La Reunion. In late 2005, the arena and the Dallas Convention Center were used as the primary Dallas shelters for evacuees of Hurricane Katrina.In 1994, President Bill Clinton visited the arena to watch his beloved University of Arkansas basketball team play in the NCAA Tournament.

Reunion Arena hosted the WCT Tennis Tournament in the 1980s, including The Virginia Slims Invitational Tournament. Due to scheduling conflicts in 1984, the Virginia Slims 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.

About

The arena also hosted numerous concerts and other events. The rock band Journey played three consecutive shows at the arena in April 1983 and in December 1986, Van Halen played three shows in June 1984 and Pink Floyd played three consecutive shows at Reunion on November, 1987. Also, Reunion was a venue that was frequently used by World Class Championship Wrestling in the 1980s, in which the promotion held many, if not all of their bi-monthly Star Wars events.The arena featured 30,000 ft² (2,790 m²) of arena floor space and had great sightlines, making it ideal for a number of events and games, including many high school graduations. 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, and country music superstar 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".

Home teams

The arena's last remaining full-time sports tenant was the MISL Dallas Sidekicks, but the club has been inactive since the Fall of 2004 season. 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.

Closure

After a unanimous vote by the Dallas City Council, Reunion Arena officially closed on June 30, 2008. [ [http://www.dallasnews.com The Dallas Morning News] - [http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/070108dnmetreunion.3b11313.html Reunion Arena officially closes] ] It is expected to be demolished beginning in March 2009. [ [http://www.dallasnews.com The Dallas Morning News] - [http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/08/report-reunion-arena-could-be.html Dallas City Hall document: Reunion Arena to be demolished beginning in March 2009] ]

Possible Implosion

In August 2008 the Dallas City Council said it would implode the stadium if it could find an entity willing to foot the bill. Plans from the council call for the implosion to be part of a movie scene with the film company picking up the tab for the implosion. [ [http://www.dallasnews.com The Dallas Morning News] - [http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/08/hey-filmmakers-dallas-wants-yo.html Reunion Arena could be imploded] ]

Events

*1982: On November 25, 1982 singer Linda Ronstadt performed her famous "Happy Thanksgiving Day" concert, one of the first ever "via satellite" concerts by a female solo artist to be broadcast live on radio stations across the nation. cite web | title=Billboard Magazine| work=Linda Ronstadt's promo ad for live Dallas radio concert broadcast|url=http://www.lindaronstadt.com/files/scans/1982_dallas_radio_concert.jpg| accessmonthday=Novemeber 4 | accessyear=2007]
*1984: Republican National Convention
*1986: NCAA men's basketball Final Four and NBA All-Star Game.
*1988: Michael Jackson performing three sell-out concerts with an attendance of 20,000 during his record breaking Bad World Tour
*1989: 1989 MISL All-Star Game
*1990: Madonna performed for the last time in Dallas here at Reunion Arena while on her Blond Ambition Tour.
*1999: Benny Hinn Miracle Crusade
*2000: WWF Fully Loaded.
*2000: WCW Monday Nitro featuring WarGames match called Russo's revenge.
*2003: Big 12 Conference Women's Post-season Basketball Tournament
*2003: NCAA Women's Volleyball Division I Final Four
*2004: Big 12 Conference Women's Post-season Basketball Tournament
*2006: Big 12 Conference Women's Post-season Basketball Tournament
*2007: NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Regional
*2008: Reunion Arena closes.

References

ee also

*List of tallest buildings in Dallas

External links

* [http://www.reunionarena.org/ Reunion Arena official site]

succession box
title = Home of the
Dallas Mavericks
years = 1980 – 2001
before = first arena
after = American Airlines Centersuccession box
title = Home of the
Dallas Stars
years = 1993 – 2001
before = Met Center
after = American Airlines Centersuccession box
title = Home of the
Dallas Desperados
years = 2003
before = American Airlines Center
after = American Airlines Centersuccession box
title = NCAA Men's Division I
Basketball Tournament
Finals Venue
years = 1986
before = Rupp Arena
after = Louisiana Superdome succession box
title = Host of the
NBA All-Star Game
years = 1986
before = Hoosier Dome
after = Kingdomesuccession box
title = Home of the
Dallas Stallions (RHI)
years = 1999
before = first arena
after = nonesuccession box
title = Home of the
Dallas Tornado
years = 1980 – 1981
before = Cotton Bowl
after = nonesuccession box
title = Home of the
Dallas Sidekicks
years = 1984 – 2004
before = none
after = nonesuccession box
title = Home of the
Dallas Texans
years = 1990 – 1993
before= none
after = nonesuccession box
title = Host of the
Republican National Convention
years = 1984
before = Joe Louis Arena
after = Louisiana Superdome