The Arena in Orlando (formerly Orlando Arena and TD Waterhouse Centre, coloquially known as the O-Rena) is an indoor arena in Orlando, Florida. It is part of the Orlando Centroplex which is a large sports and entertainment complex. It is home to the Orlando Magic of the NBA and the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League.
TD Waterhouse Centre (former) Orlando Arena (former) | |
 | |
| Former names | Orlando Arena (1989-1999) TD Waterhouse Centre (1999-2006) |
|---|---|
| Location | 600 W. Amelia St, Orlando, Florida |
| Owner | City of Orlando |
| Operator | Orlando Centroplex |
| Capacity | 17,248 (basketball) 15,924 (arena football) 15,948 (ice hockey) 15,788 (circus) 16,882 (ice skating) 17,740 (concert end stage) 18,039 (concert center stage) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | January 29, 1989 |
| Construction cost | $98 million (USD) |
| Architect | Lloyd Jones Philpot; Cambridge Seven |
| Tenants | |
| Orlando Magic (NBA) (1989-Present) Orlando Predators (AFL) (1991-Present) Orlando Miracle (WNBA) (1999-2002) Orlando Solar Bears (IHL) (1995-2001) Orlando Seals (ACHL\WHA2) (2002-2004) | |
TD Waterhouse, a division of Canadian finance company Toronto Dominion, purchased naming rights to the Orlando Arena in 1999, and named the venue the TD Waterhouse Centre (utilizing Canadian English). Before the Orlando Arena's naming rights were sold, the other two buildings in the Orlando Centroplex--Orlando Expo Centre and Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre--utilized that spelling as well, so it was more than simply the fact that TD Waterhouse is a Canadian company that the building used the "Centre" spelling. Those naming rights expired on November 30, 2006, and the venue will be called "The Arena in Orlando" until a new naming rights contract is signed. [1]
The nickname of the building for Predator games is "The Jungle". During the 2005-2006 AFL seasons, the facility was referred to as Hummer Field at TD Waterhouse Centre.
It is also the former home of the IHL's Orlando Solar Bears, and also the RHI's Orlando Jackels. Completed in 1989 at a cost of $98 million - entirely publicly financed - the arena seats 17,248 for basketball and has 26 luxury suites. The naming rights were sold in 2000 to TD Waterhouse at $7.8 million for five years. It is also used for entertainment events, particularly large rock concerts.
The 1990 SEC men's basketball tournament was held here, as was the WWF Royal Rumble that year. WCW held its Bash at the Beach there in 1994. WWE Armageddon 2003 was also held there. Early rounds of the NCAA Tournament were held there in the early- to mid-1990s.
In 1991, the facility was voted "Arena of the Year" by Performance Magazine. It was also nominated for "Best Indoor Concert Venue" in the Pollstar Concert Industry Awards.
The 42nd annual NBA All-Star Game was held at the facility February 9, 1992.
During the 1993-94 NHL season, the Tampa Bay Lightning played five of their home games here.
Games One and Two of the 1995 NBA Finals were held at the facility.
In 2004, Orlando, Florida was selected as one of five cities in the U.S. to host the Dew Action Sports Tour, a new extreme sports francise to start in 2005. Titled the PlayStation Pro, the event was held at the TD Waterhouse Centre from October 12-16, 2005. The Dew Action Sports Tour is scheduled to return in 2006.
The facility was the site of the 1992 United States Figure Skating Nationals.
On August 22, 2004, the City of Orlando evicted the Orlando Seals, a minor league hockey team, from the TD Waterhouse Centre. They were forced to sit out the first season of Southern Professional Hockey League play for 2004-2005 as a result. They ultimately moved to Kissimmee's Silver Spurs Arena and resumed play in 2005-2006 as the Florida Seals.
In 2006, TD Waterhouse's American operations were sold to Ameritrade to form TD Ameritrade. This might affect the name of the stadium. However, TD Waterhouse continues its Canadian operations.
Successor Arena
Beginning around 2002, the Orlando Magic and the City of Orlando entered discussions for a complete refurbishment or demolition of the TD Waterhouse Centre in favor of a new facility. In recent years, arena and city officials had reported revenue losses, and criticized the facility for not being large enough compared to more recently constructed arenas. The media has offered rumors that the Orlando Magic may relocate to another city, but team officials denied such claims. The facility currently ranks near the bottom in the NBA as far as capacity and luxury suites.
On September 29, 2006, the City of Orlando and Orange County came to an agreement on a $1.1-billion improvement package that includes $480 million for a new arena. The Magic will provide $114 million in cash and up-front lease payments, and guarantee $100 million in bonds, toward the arena.
External link
| Preceded by first arena |
Home of the Orlando Magic 1989–present |
Succeeded by current |