Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
The Vet
Location 300 A Philip Randolph Boulevard
Jacksonville, Florida 32202
Coordinates 30°19′32.77″N 81°38′42.25″W / 30.3257694°N 81.6450694°W / 30.3257694; -81.6450694Coordinates: 30°19′32.77″N 81°38′42.25″W / 30.3257694°N 81.6450694°W / 30.3257694; -81.6450694
Owner City of Jacksonville
Operator SMG
Capacity Concerts: 15,000
Basketball: 14,091
Hockey: 13,141
Arena Football: 13,011
Construction
Broke ground November 27, 2001
Opened November 28, 2003[1]
Construction cost $130 million
($174 million in 2016 dollars[2])
Architect Populous (Formerly HOK Sport)[3]
Bessent, Hammack & Ruckman[1]
Project manager Gilbane/Scheer/Renaissance Group[1]
Structural engineer Bliss & Nyitray, Inc.[4]
Services engineer Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.[5]
General contractor Turner/Perry-McCall/Northside Partnership[1]
Tenants
Jacksonville Dolphins (NCAA) (2003–2015)
Jacksonville Barracudas (WHA2/SPHL) (2003–2007)
Jacksonville Breeze (LFL) (2009–2014)
Jacksonville Giants (ABA) (2010–present)
Jacksonville Sharks (AFL/NAL) (2010–present)
Jacksonville Bullies (PLL) (2012)

The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena is a 15,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Jacksonville, Florida. It was built in 2003 as part of Mayor John Delaney's Better Jacksonville Plan to replace the outdated Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The field is titled Sea Best Field.[6]

The Memorial Arena also serves as a multi-functional entertainment venue.

Events

The arena was designed, using state-of-the-art techniques, to have the acoustical characteristics necessary for concerts; the first artist to hold a concert in the Arena was Elton John in November 2003. Since that time, dozens of groups, including country, rap, rock, and others, have performed at the arena.

In 2006, a scheduled Dixie Chicks concert was cancelled, due to lack of ticket sales, which was seen as part of the general backlash against the group's comments on the Iraq War.[7]

Sporting events hosted include the 2004 USA Men's Olympic basketball team in their only game played in the United States, as well as the first, second and third rounds of the 2006, 2010, and 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

The arena found huge success when the arena became the home of the Jacksonville Sharks in 2010 when they were introduced as an expansion team of the Arena Football League. The team was founded by former Orlando Predators executive Jeff Bouchy who is also the brother of former Orlando Predators owner Brett Bouchy. The Sharks have recently generated the highest attendance for a tenant in the arena's history.

The arena also hosted the WWE One Night Stand 2007 pay-per-view event.

The arena also hosts frequent WWE shows throughout the year.

It was the host for the Davis Cup first round tie between the US and Brazil on the weekend of February 1–3, 2013.

JVMA will host an NBA game between the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans on October 9.

Tenants

Currently, the arena is home to the Jacksonville Sharks of the National Arena League and the Jacksonville Giants of the American Basketball Association. It also hosted the 2011 ABA All-Star Game, which took place on February 26, 2011.[8] Starting in 2012, it became home to the Jacksonville Bullies of the Professional Lacrosse League.[9]

The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena was home to the Jacksonville Barracudas ice hockey franchise until the end of the 2006–07 season, when they were relocated to a smaller hockey arena in the area.

It has also hosted PBR Built Ford Tough Series events in the past.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Broughton, David (December 1, 2003). "Jacksonville Hockey Team Gets a Record-Setting New Home". SportsBusiness Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  2. ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Arenas". Populous. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena". Bliss & Nyitray, Inc. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Jacksonville Arena". Limbach, Inc. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Sharks to Play on Sea Best Field" (Press release). Jacksonville Sharks. April 9, 2010. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  7. ↑ http://www.mp3.com/news/stories/4903.html
  8. ↑ Pascucci, Gianni (November 23, 2010). "2010-2011 ABA All-Star Game Awarded to Jacksonville, Florida". US Basket. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  9. ↑ Ferry, Jennifer (July 26, 2012). "Jacksonville's First Professional, Indoor Lacrosse Team to Launch in September". Jacksonville Business Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
Preceded by
first arena		 Home of the
Jacksonville Sharks
2010 – present 		Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
first arena		 Home of the
Jacksonville Bullies
2012 		Succeeded by
current
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