U.S. Cellular Center (Cedar Rapids)
U.S. Cellular Center (formerly Five Seasons Center) is a multi-purpose arena located in the downtown area of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was financed by the approval of a voter referendum to allocate special municipal capital improvement bond monies, after several prior bond referendums to build a civic center failed between 1965 and 1977. The initial construction cost was approximately $7 million for the arena and facilities. The city approved an additional $1 million to build an adjacent multi-level parking facility connected to the center by a skywalk. The center is adjoined by a 16-story DoubleTree hotel facility built directly above the arena.
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| Former names | Five Seasons Center |
|---|---|
| Location | 370 1st Avenue Northeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401 |
| Owner | City of Cedar Rapids |
| Operator | VenuWorks |
| Capacity | 6,900 (Basketball) 8,600 (Concerts) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1977 |
| Opened | January 25, 1979 |
| Renovated | 2011-2013 |
| Closed | July 2011 |
| Reopened | June 1, 2013 |
| Construction cost | $8 million ($28.2 million in 2019 dollars[1]) |
| Tenants | |
| Iowa Cornets (WBL) (1979–1980) Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets (CBA) (1988–1991) Cedar Rapids Sharpshooters (GBA) (1992) Cedar Rapids River Raiders (USBL) (2004) Cedar Rapids River Kings (IFL) (2014–present) Cedar Rapids Rampage (MASL) (2015–2018) | |
The center hosts local sporting events and concerts, most notably the Iowa State High School Girls Volleyball Tournament and the Iowa High School Team Dual Wrestling Championships. It was opened in 1979 as the Five Seasons Center, and hosted the English progressive-rock band Yes as its first official concert event on April 25, 1979. The arena has a basketball capacity of about 6,900 and can seat up to 8,600 for concerts. It served as the primary sports and entertainment venue in Eastern Iowa until the completion of Carver–Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City four years later. Former professional tenants include the Cedar Rapids River Raiders of the United States Basketball League, the Cedar Rapids Sharpshooters of the Global Basketball Association and the Cedar Rapids Silver Bullets of the Continental Basketball Association. Numerous commencement ceremonies are held at the arena.
The venue hosted the initial World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Souled Out event in 1997. It also hosted WCW's Clash of the Champions XXVIII event in 1994 and a WCW Monday Nitro event in 1999. As the Five Seasons Center, it was the site of two early Ultimate Fighting Championship events: UFC 21 in 1999, and UFC 26 the following year.
In early June 2008, the U.S. Cellular Center was flooded with water from the Iowa flood of 2008.
The arena closed in July 2011 to undergo renovations as part of a larger project to build a convention complex around the site, which also includes renovations to the now DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. Events were diverted to other venues in the area, including the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena (also managed by VenuWorks) and Carver-Hawkeye Arena, during that time. The complex was re-opened for a concert by Lady Antebellum on June 1, 2013.[2] It was selected as the host arena for the NCAA Division II National Volleyball tournament December 12–14, 2013.
It is home to the Cedar Rapids River Kings of the Indoor Football League, since 2014.[3]
On October 17, 2014, US Cellular Center held an NBA preseason game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves.
References
- Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- "Cedar Rapids Convention Complex". City of Cedar Rapids. Retrieved March 19, 2011.
- Pro football coming to Cedar Rapids? | TheGazette
External links
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Boutwell Memorial Auditorium Yoyogi National Gymnasium |
Ultimate Fighting Championship venue UFC 21 UFC 26 |
Succeeded by Lake Charles Civic Center Lakefront Arena |