Cleveland Arena

Cleveland Arena was an arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It was built and privately financed by local businessman Albert C. Sutphin during the height of the Great Depression in 1937 as a playing site for Sutphin's AHL team, the Cleveland Barons. The arena was at 3717 Euclid Avenue, and seated 9,900 in the stands and 12,500+ for events such as boxing where floor seating was available.[2]

Cleveland Arena
Location3717 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio, 44115
United States
Coordinates41°30′14″N 81°39′40″W
Capacity11,000 (basketball)
9,900 (hockey)
Construction
Opened1937
Closed1974
Demolished1977
Construction cost$1.5 million ($26.7 million in 2019 dollars[1])
Tenants
Cleveland Barons (AHL) (1937–1973)
Cleveland White Horses (NBL) (1938–1939)
Cleveland Rebels (BAA) (1946–1947)
Cincinnati Royals (NBA) (1966–1970)
Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) (1970–1974)
Cleveland Crusaders (WHA) (1972–1974)

In addition to the Barons, the arena was home to the Cleveland Rebels of the Basketball Association of America, also owned by Sutphin, for the 1946–47 season, and hosted several games for the Cincinnati Royals of the National Basketball Association (NBA), who played more than 35 of their home games there from 1966–1970.[3] The arena and the Barons were purchased by Nick Mileti in 1968. In 1970, the expansion Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA moved into the arena and played there for their first four seasons, from 1970–1974. The Cleveland Crusaders of the new World Hockey Association began play in 1972, hosting games there until 1974.[4]

Cleveland Arena was also a regular concert and boxing venue and 6 Day bicycle races were held there between 1939 and 1958, moved there from Public Hall. [5]On March 21, 1952 it was the site of the Moondog Coronation Ball, considered the first rock and roll concert, organized by Alan Freed. The concert was shut down after the first song by fire authorities due to overcrowding. It was estimated 20,000 people were in the arena or trying to enter it, when the capacity was roughly half that.[6]

While the arena was a showpiece when it opened, by the time it closed in 1974 it had become decrepit and lacked adequate parking. It was replaced for sports and entertainment use by the Richfield Coliseum that year and demolished in 1977.[2] The headquarters of the Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross now occupies the site.[7]

References
  1. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  2. George Condon (1995). "Chapter 7, Sutphin's Surprise". The Man in the Arena: The Life and Times of A.C. Sutphin. The A.C. Sutphin Foundation. pp. 51–67. ISBN 0-9649900-1-6.
  3. "1966–67 Cincinnati Royals Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  4. "Cleveland Arena". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  5. "PublishOhio". Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  6. "The Moondog Coronation Ball is history's first rock concert". History Channel. February 24, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  7. "Lost Cleveland: Rock 'n' roll landmarks that made music history". Cleveland.com. April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
Preceded by
first arena		 Home of the
Cleveland Cavaliers
1970 – 1974		 Succeeded by
Richfield Coliseum
Preceded by
first arena		 Home of the
Cleveland Crusaders
1972 – 1974		 Succeeded by
Richfield Coliseum
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