Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is a multi-purpose arena in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The building is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League. It also serves as a secondary arena for Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball.

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Aerial view in 2019 from Terminal Tower
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Location in Cleveland
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Location in Ohio
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Location in the United States
Former namesGund Arena (1994–2005)
Quicken Loans Arena (2005–2019)
Address1 Center Court
LocationCleveland, Ohio
Coordinates41°29′47″N 81°41′17″W
Public transit Tower City
OwnerGateway Economic Development Corp.[1]
OperatorRocket Mortgage FieldHouse
CapacityBasketball: 19,432
Ice hockey: 9,447 (expandable to 18,926)
Arena football: 18,926
Construction
Broke groundApril 27, 1992
OpenedOctober 17, 1994
Construction cost$100 million
($172 million in 2019 dollars[2])
ArchitectEllerbe Becket[3]
Project managerSeagull Bay Sports, LLC.[4]
Services engineerURS Corporation[5]
General contractorTurner/Choice/Bradley/Zunt[6]
Tenants
Current:
Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) (1994–present)
Cleveland Monsters (AHL) (2007–present)
Cleveland State Vikings (NCAA) (secondary; 2015–present)
Former:
Cleveland Lumberjacks (IHL) (1994–2001)
Cleveland Rockers (WNBA) (1997–2003)
Cleveland Barons (AHL) (2001–2006)
Cleveland Gladiators (AFL) (2008–2017)
Cleveland Crush (LFL) (2011–2013)

The arena opened in October 1994 as part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex with adjacent Progressive Field, which opened in April of that year. The facility replaced the Richfield Coliseum as the primary entertainment facility for the region and the home of the Cavaliers, and supplanted the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University, which opened in 1990, as the primary concert and athletic venue in downtown Cleveland. From its opening in October 1994 until August 2005, it was known as Gund Arena, named for former Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund, after he paid for the naming rights. After purchasing a majority of the Cavaliers in March 2005, Dan Gilbert bought the naming rights in August 2005 and renamed the building Quicken Loans Arena after his mortgage lending company Quicken Loans. It was renamed in April 2019 for Quicken Loans' online mortgage lending service, Rocket Mortgage, as part of the facility's renovation and expansion.[7][8]

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse seats 19,432 people in its basketball configuration and up to 18,926 for ice hockey, making it one of the largest arenas in the NBA by seating capacity. It is a frequent site for concerts and other athletic events such as the men's and women's basketball tournaments of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), hosting the men's tournament since 2000 and the women's tournament since 2001. It has also been the host venue for the 2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Final Four, opening and regional semi-final games in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 2000 and 2009, and the 2016 Republican National Convention.

History
The arena logo from 1994 to 2005.

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse was preceded in downtown Cleveland by the Cleveland Arena, a facility built in 1937 with a seating capacity for basketball of approximately 12,000. It was best known as the site of the Moondog Coronation Ball in 1952, widely regarded as the first rock and roll concert.[9] Cleveland Arena was the first home of the Cavaliers in 1970.[9]

The Cleveland Arena was also the home of an earlier professional basketball team, the Cleveland Rebels of the Basketball Association of America, the original Cleveland Barons ice hockey team, and hosted several games of the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA in the 1960s. By 1970, however, Cleveland Arena was outdated and in disrepair. The Cavs played there their first four seasons. It was replaced in 1974 by the 20,273-seat Richfield Coliseum, located in Richfield, between Cleveland and Akron.[9]

The Quicken Loans Arena logo and name was used from 2005 to 2019.

During the 1980s, the site of the Central Market, a fruit and vegetable market that dated back to 1856, was selected for construction of a multi-purpose domed stadium for the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians, but the ballot measure to fund it was defeated by voters. The market site was acquired in 1985 and cleared in 1987 in a continued push for new downtown sports facilities by city and business leaders. In 1990, voters approved a sin tax on alcohol and tobacco products in Cuyahoga County to fund the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex, which includes the Q and adjacent Progressive Field.[10] Construction began in 1992 with the ballpark opening in April 1994 and the arena in October 1994.[11][12] The arena opened with a concert by Billy Joel on October 17, 1994. The Cavaliers played their first regular-season game in the arena a few weeks later, a loss to the Houston Rockets on November 8, 1994.[13]

As part of his purchase of the team and the arena naming rights in 2005, Dan Gilbert, owner of Quicken Loans, funded renovations of the arena, which included installing new wine-colored seats, state-of-the-art scoreboards, video systems, and sound systems, new arena graphics and signage, and upgrades to security, locker rooms, and the suites, all of which were in place for the start of the Cavaliers 2005–2006 season, except for the seats, which were replaced a few sections at a time.

Gilbert purchased the then-inactive Utah Grizzlies franchise of the American Hockey League on May 16, 2006, and announced that it would move to Quicken Loans Arena to replace the departed Cleveland Barons. The team name was announced as the Lake Erie Monsters on January 25, 2007, and began play in the 2007–08 season. The Lake Erie Monsters changed their name to the Cleveland Monsters on August 9, 2016.

The Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League announced on October 16, 2007, that they would move to Quicken Loans Arena, becoming the Cleveland Gladiators.

In December 2016, the Cavaliers announced plans for renovations to the arena that included an increase in the square footage of the concourses and open areas, along with upgrades throughout the building.[14] The plan, which relied partly on tax money for funding, faced opposition from activist groups including the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus and the Greater Cleveland Congregations (GCC).[15][16] After the groups submitted signatures to force a referendum on the plan, the Cavaliers announced that they were withdrawing from the plan, citing rising costs and delays caused by the prospective referendum.[17] However, in August 2017, after Cuyahoga County made a non-binding commitment to build two mental health crisis centers, the GCC withdrew its petitions.[18][19] In December 2017, the team stated it was moving forward with the renovations. The project will cost $193 million, after interest, with taxes paying for $100 million of it.[20]

Design and operations

The arena seats 19,432 for basketball, with 2,000 club seats and 88 luxury suites. Seating is divided into three levels, with two main levels of suites and five "platinum suites" on the event level. Around the seating there are two main concourses, one on the ground level to access the 100 level seating and 32 lower suites, and an upper concourse for the top 200 level seating. The lower concourse also includes the ticket office and the two-level main team shop. In between is the club level, which provides access to the 60 upper suites and club seating. Also on the club level is an auxiliary gym, which was used by the Cavaliers as their main practice court until the opening of the Cleveland Clinic Courts practice facility in 2007.

In the hockey and arena football configuration, capacity is 18,926. During most Monsters games, the upper-level seating is closed and covered by a large curtain, reducing capacity to 9,447. In the basketball configuration, when the upper level seating is closed, capacity is listed at 11,751. 60% of the seating is located in the lower two levels.[21] The seating capacity was reduced in 2018 as part of a major renovation project that expanded the concourses, removed three sections of seating in the upper level, and updated other parts of the facility. From the opening of the arena until 2018, seating capacity for basketball was listed at 20,562, with a maximum for ice hockey and arena football at 20,056.[22]

The scoreboard with flames during player introductions in 2014

The main scoreboard at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, nicknamed Humongotron, is the third largest scoreboard used in an NBA arena. It was installed in October 2014 after Cavs owner Dan Gilbert had seen a similar scoreboard at the Toyota Center in Houston during the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend. The scoreboard includes four large HD video screens with large sabers on each corner that can extend outward to shoot fire, usually as part of player introductions. The two screens facing the sidelines are 31.5 feet (9.6 m) high and 56.69 feet (17.28 m) wide, while the two screens facing the baselines measure 29.92 feet (9.12 m) high and 33.07 feet (10.08 m) wide.[21][23][24]

On the roof of the building is a large LED message board that measures 360 feet (110 m) by 90 feet (27 m), described as the "largest LED roof sign on the planet" by Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. The sign was approved by the Cleveland City Planning Commission in March 2016 with the stipulation that only the arena's name or its naming rights sponsor can be shown. Any other use of the sign needs commission approval. The message board was installed later in 2016 and debuted in May during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.[25][26]

The arena, along with neighboring Progressive Field and an adjacent parking garage, is owned by the Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland, an entity made up of members appointed by the governments of the city of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County. Gateway leases the arena to the Cavaliers, who also manage the Cleveland Monsters and the Cleveland Gladiators.[27]Food service is managed by Aramark and includes items contributed by award-winning chef Michael Symon. Two existing restaurants were renamed in 2009 after Symon's bar-bistros "Bar Symon" and "The B-Spot", and some of his signature dishes are available as suite catering offerings.[28]

In March 2017, in partnership with the non-profit organization KultureCity, the Cavaliers officially introduced the availability of accommodations during all events for guests with hypersensitivity needs, such as attendees with autism spectrum disorders. This includes staff training, free "sensory bags" with headphones, a blanket, and other items geared towards attendees with sensory needs, as well as a sensory room and exemptions from re-entry policies if they are overwhelmed by the environment. The arena became the first in the NBA to be certified by KultureCity as being "sensory inclusive".[29][30]

Tenants

Current

As home of the Cavaliers and Monsters, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has hosted a number of notable events for each team, including playoff and championship games. Through the 2018–2019 season, the Cavs have hosted playoff games in 12 of their 25 seasons at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, including games three and four of the 2007 NBA Finals, 2017 Finals, 2018 Finals and games three, four, and six of the 2015 and 2016 Finals. The arena was also the site of the 1997 NBA All-Star Game, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of the NBA, and will be host of the 2022 All-Star Game, honoring the league's 75th anniversary.

The Monsters made their playoff debut in 2011 and returned to the playoffs in 2016. In the 2016 Calder Cup playoffs, the team advanced to the Calder Cup final and swept the Hershey Bears in four games for their first Calder Cup in franchise history. Games three and four were held at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Game four, held on June 11, was a sell-out and drew 19,665 fans, which set a record for largest crowd to ever see a professional hockey game in the state of Ohio and the second-largest postseason crowd in American Hockey League history.[31]

Former

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has been home to other franchises that have either relocated or folded. When it opened in 1994, in addition to being home of the Cavaliers, it was also the home arena for the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League (IHL). The Lumberjacks played at the arena until 2001 when the team folded along with the IHL. Later that year a new incarnation of the Cleveland Barons, who played in the American Hockey League, began play and were tenants at the arena until 2006 when the team moved to Worcester, Massachusetts.

The Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League qualified for the playoffs in six of their nine seasons in Cleveland and hosted playoff games in 2008, 2011, and 2014. During the 2014 season, the team finished 15–1 overall and advanced to ArenaBowl XXVII, which hosted at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The game drew 18,410 fans and was held at the same time as a Cleveland Browns home preseason game at FirstEnergy Stadium, and a Cleveland Indians home game at adjacent Progressive Field.[32][33]

Two women's professional teams have also called the arena home. From 1997 to 2003, the Cleveland Rockers, one of the eight charter members of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The team folded after the 2003 WNBA season because the Gunds, who still owned the Cavs at that point, no longer wished to operate the Rockers franchise and a new ownership group could not be obtained. The Cleveland Crush of the Lingerie Football League played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for their 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons before moving to Toledo, Ohio, in late 2013.[34]

Events

College sports

In addition to its professional sports tenants, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has hosted a number of intercollegiate sporting events. It has been home to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Men's Basketball Tournament since 2000 and the MAC MAC Women's Basketball Tournament since 2001. "MAC Madness", as it is known, has become a strong draw for the arena. The men's semi-final and championship games routinely draw 10,000–15,000 attendees. In addition, the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has served as a host for games of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, hosting early round games in 2011 and regional semi-final and final games in 2015.[35] Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has also hosted games for the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship, hosting regional semi-finals and finals for the 2006 tournament and the Final Four and national championship game of the 2007 tournament.

In 2015, it was announced that arena management and Cleveland State University came to an agreement where select Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball games would take place at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, while the arena would essentially take over operations of the Wolstein Center, CSU's primary home arena, being in charge of promoting and booking events at the venue.[36]

A view from inside the arena.

WWE

The arena has hosted numerous WWE professional wrestling cards, including pay–per–view events such as:

In addition to the PPV shows, the arena has hosted numerous broadcasts of WWE's flagship weekly TV shows - Raw and SmackDown.

Notably, the arena hosted the March 26, 2001 episode of Raw (which was held the week before WrestleMania X-Seven) where Vince McMahon addressed the WWE's purchase of WCW; this speech was simulcast on the final episode of WCW Monday Nitro (which was emanated from Panama City Beach, Florida). During the broadcast, Shane McMahon appeared on Nitro to announce that he had (storyline) purchased WCW, resulting in the start of the Invasion storyline.

Other events

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has hosted a number of other events, including the 2000 and 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

LeBron James gathered almost 20,000 people at the arena on October 29, 2008, for a viewing of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's 30-minute American Stories, American Solutions television advertisement. It was shown on a large screen above the stage, where Jay-Z later held a free concert.[38]

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse was selected in July 2014 as the host site for the 2016 Republican National Convention. The arena hosted the first Republican presidential debate of the 2016 election, aired by Fox News Channel, on August 6, 2015. The convention was held July 18–21, 2016.[39] Records obtained by the Center for Public Integrity show that Comcast, Microsoft, the American Petroleum Institute, Chevron, Koch Companies Public Sector, PhRMA, and other trade and lobby groups, "funded a limited liability company called 'Friends of the House 2016 LLC' to pay for "the design and outfitting of an exclusive office, lounge and gathering space, called the 'cloakroom', for Republican lawmakers" on the Cleveland Cavaliers practice court Quicken Loans Arena. The Cleveland 2016 Host Committee, who "facilitated construction of the 'cloakroom" space', received $923,100 from the Friends of the House 2016 LLC."[40]

Cleveland-area native Stipe Miocic defended his heavyweight championship at UFC 203, which was held at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on September 10, 2016.

On February 6, 2019, Cher sang at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse during her Here We Go Again Tour to a sold-out audience. This was the first time Cher performed here since 2014’s Dressed to Kill Tour.

On October 18, 2019 Celine Dion came back to the arena for her Courage World Tour,[41] Dion's first concert at the arena in 11 years.

gollark: Also, there's loads of space left in the republic which is occupied currently by oversized parks and excessively dense roads.
gollark: How would that work?
gollark: No rule against suicide!
gollark: "Not gollark"? Do you not like me or something? I don't remember ever interacting with you.
gollark: But you can live in both obviously.

References
  1. Farkas, Karen (May 5, 2017). "Bonds for Quicken Loans Arena Delayed Until Referendum Issue Resolved". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. Retrieved May 5, 2017. Komoroski and Offtermatt spoke after a Gateway Economic Development Corp. board meeting...The non-profit organization, a joint entity created by the city and county, owns the arena and Progressive Field and enforces the team leases on behalf of the county.
  2. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  3. "Quicken Loans Arena (formerly Gund Arena)". Ellerbe Becket. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  4. Project Management Consultants: Project Profiles – Ballparks, Stadium & Arenas Archived November 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. PCI Journal – March/April 1994
  6. Quicken Loans Arena at emporis.com
  7. "Quicken Loans Arena to be Renamed Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse". Cavs.com (Press release). NBA Media Ventures, LLC. April 10, 2019. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  8. Fedor, Chris (April 9, 2019). "Quicken Loans Arena officially renamed Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse: 'Next chapter in evolution of incredible facility'". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
  9. "Cleveland Arena". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. March 27, 1998. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  10. Stoffel, Jennifer (June 13, 1990). "Real Estate; New Sports Complex for Cleveland". The New York Times. Retrieved November 7, 2010.
  11. "Central Market". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. March 25, 1998. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  12. "Quicken Loans Arena". Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. September 12, 2008. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  13. "Houston Rockets at Cleveland Cavaliers Box Score". Basketball-Reference. November 8, 1994. Retrieved October 5, 2012.
  14. Withers, Tom (December 13, 2016). "Cleveland Cavaliers Announce Plans for $140M Renovation of Arena". National Basketball Association. Associated Press. Retrieved December 13, 2016. The Cavaliers announced plans Tuesday for a $140 million project to renovate Quicken Loans Arena, the downtown home of the NBA champions since 1994.
  15. Farkas, Karen (February 10, 2017). "No Public Money for Q Improvements, Says Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  16. Miller, Jay (December 27, 2017). "Top 10 Government and Economic Development Stories of 2017". Crain's Cleveland Business. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  17. "Cavaliers Withdraw From $140 Million Quicken Loans Arena transformation project". Cleveland: WEWS-TV. August 29, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
  18. Allard, Sam (August 31, 2017). "The Q Deal is Alive and Well – How GCC Compromised to Resuscitate It". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  19. Higgs, Robert (August 31, 2017). "Petitions Seeking Referendum on The Q Upgrades Withdrawn, Ending Challenge by Greater Cleveland Congregations". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  20. Castele, Nick (December 26, 2017). "Cuyahoga County, Cavaliers Move Ahead With Quicken Loans Arena Deal in 2018". Ideastream. Retrieved January 5, 2018.
  21. "Quicken Loans Arena Fun Facts". Quicken Loans Arena. 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  22. Astolfi, Courtney (September 28, 2018). "Take a Behind-the-Scenes Tour of the Q Renovation". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  23. "Sneak Peek at New Quicken Loans Arena HD Jumbotron" (Press release). Cleveland Cavaliers. September 25, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  24. "Cavaliers Announce Quicken Loans Arena Is Now Home to NBA's Biggest Scoreboard". Bleacher Report. October 27, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
  25. Jarboe, Michelle (March 18, 2016). "Cleveland Cavaliers' Plan for Giant LED Sign Atop The Q Gets Planning Commission's OK". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  26. Allard, Sam (May 18, 2016). "The New 'Quicken Loans Arena' LED Sign Debuted Last Night". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  27. "Who We Are". Gateway Economic Development Corporation of Greater Cleveland. 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  28. "Acclaimed Chef Michael Symon Brings His Signature Menu to Quicken Loans Arena, in Partnership with Cleveland Cavaliers and ARAMARK" (Press release). National Basketball Association. October 2, 2009. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  29. Winfield, Kristian (March 31, 2017). "Cleveland Cavaliers Have First Sensory Inclusive Sporting Arena. Here's What That Means and Why It Matters". SB Nation. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  30. Noga, Joe (March 30, 2017). "Cavaliers Debut The Quiet Space Sensory Room Aimed at Expanding Accessibility Inside The Q". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  31. "Monsters bring Calder Cup back to Cleveland" (Press release). American Hockey League. June 11, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  32. Warsinskey, Tim (August 10, 2014). "Cleveland Gladiators Advance to ArenaBowl XXVII, Defeat Orlando Predators, 56–46". The Plain Dealer. Cleveland. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
  33. Boone, Faith (August 22, 2014). "MAP: Where to Park for the Browns, Indians or Gladiators Games This Weekend". Cleveland: WEWS. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  34. Allard, Sam (December 17, 2013). "Cleveland Crush Franchise Will Relocate to Toledo". CleveScene. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  35. "2011 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship". Quicken Loans Arena. March 19, 2010. Archived from the original on July 26, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2010.
  36. "Quicken Loans Arena and Cleveland State University Announce Partnership to Grow the Sports and Entertainment Landscape in Downtown Cleveland". Quicken Loans Arena. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  37. "WWE Fastlane 2019 location and date announced". SportsWhy. Retrieved December 15, 2018.
  38. "Jay-Z, LeBron James get out vote for Obama". Today.com. October 30, 2010.
  39. Walshe, Shushannah & Klein, Rick (July 8, 2014). "Republicans Choose Cleveland As 2016 Convention Site". ABC News. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  40. Levine, Carrie (October 18, 2017). "Republican lawmakers' posh hideaway bankrolled by secret corporate cash". Center for Public Integrity. Retrieved December 29, 2017. Bank records: Comcast, Microsoft, Koch helped fund GOP convention 'cloakroom'
  41. https://www.celinedion.com/in-concert/
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Richfield Coliseum		 Home of the
Cleveland Cavaliers
1994–present		 Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
Orleans Arena		 Home of the
Cleveland Gladiators
2008–2017		 Succeeded by
none
Preceded by
E Center		 Home of the
Cleveland Monsters
2007–present		 Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
SeaGate Convention Centre		 Host of the
Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
2000–present		 Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
Alamodome		 Host of the
NBA All-Star Game
1997		 Succeeded by
Madison Square Garden
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