Charleston Civic Center
Encyclopedia
The Charleston Civic Center is a municipal complex located in the downtown
area of Charleston
, West Virginia
. Originally completed in 1959 at the cost of $2.5 million, the Charleston Civic Center has undergone numerous renovations and expansions. The Charleston Civic Center currently consists of three main components: the Civic Center Coliseum, the Little Theater, and the Charleston Convention Center, also referred to as the Grand Hall.
s was approved by city voters for the construction of a civic center
in the downtown area of Charleston, West Virginia between Lee Street and Quarrier Street on the banks of the Elk River
just before the Elk River empties into the Kanawha River
. When the original Civic Center opened in January 1959 at the cost of $2.5 million, it consisted of a 6,000-seat arena
and the 750-seat "Little Theater."
The Civic Center underwent its first renovation and expansion in 1964 when 2,400 additional seats were added to the arena and a paved parking lot and an ice rink
were added to the facilities. The $1.5 million project was financed through the sale of revenue bond
s.
The most significant renovation and expansion began when city voters approved a $10 million general obligation bond sale in 1976 to erect a 13,000-seat coliseum, a two story lobby that connected the new coliseum with the original arena and theater, and remodel the original arena into a convention center. The project also received an additional $10 million in federal matching grants
and was completed in 1980.
Two parking garages were added in 1983, accommodating up to 1,300 cars. In 1994, the 36000 square feet (3,344.5 m²) Grand Hall of the convention center received a new ceiling, paint and lighting and the ice rink was also converted into an exhibit hall in the same year. The last renovations took place between 2004 and 2006 when about $250,000 was spent to renovate the Little Theater.
s and graduation ceremonies at the Civic Center.
The Civic Center Coliseum also hosts the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of the annual West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
postseason tournament, West Virginia State
High School Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments, music concerts, professional wrestling
, and basketball games between in-state rivals West Virginia University
and Marshall University
. The West Virginia State University
also holds its commencement
ceremonies in the Coliseum.
The Charleston Light Opera Guild conducts performances in the Little Theater throughout the year.
Among DeWispelaere's comments were that there was an insufficient number of meeting rooms and that the Grand Hall was not large enough for the conference's exhibit area, which includes a helicopter, a rock-climbing wall and other large features. In a stage area set up in the Grand Hall, loudspeakers had to be placed on the floor as they could not be suspended from the ceiling as with most other convention centers. The Grand Hall's low ceiling inhibited spotlight tracking on some portions of the stage area and blocked the view of the stage from the back of the Grand Hall.
As a result of DeWispelaere's comments, Charleston Mayor Danny Jones made the upgrade and expansion of the Civic Center a platform of his successful May 15, 2007 mayoral reelection campaign. On June 11, 2007, the Charleston City Council authorized a feasibility study on the expansion or replacement of the existing structure. Conventions, Sports & Leisure Int'l, a facilities planning firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota
and Dallas, Texas
, and the DLR Group, an architectural firm in Portland, Oregon
, were hired to conducted the study.
As part of the expansion plans, the City of Charleston inquired about purchasing a 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) tract near the existing Civic Center and owned by the Beni Kedem Temple, a chapter of the Shriners
fraternal organization. However, the Beni Kedem members voted to table the mission to sell the property to the city.
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
area of Charleston
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. Originally completed in 1959 at the cost of $2.5 million, the Charleston Civic Center has undergone numerous renovations and expansions. The Charleston Civic Center currently consists of three main components: the Civic Center Coliseum, the Little Theater, and the Charleston Convention Center, also referred to as the Grand Hall.
History
In 1953, the first in a series of general obligation bondGeneral obligation bond
A general obligation bond is a common type of municipal bond in the United States that is secured by a state or local government's pledge to use legally available resources, including tax revenues, to repay bond holders....
s was approved by city voters for the construction of a civic center
Civic center
A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building...
in the downtown area of Charleston, West Virginia between Lee Street and Quarrier Street on the banks of the Elk River
Elk River (West Virginia)
The Elk River is a tributary of the Kanawha River, long, in central West Virginia in the United States. Via the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.-Course:...
just before the Elk River empties into the Kanawha River
Kanawha River
The Kanawha River is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 97 mi long, in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The largest inland waterway in West Virginia, it has formed a significant industrial region of the state since the middle of the 19th century.It is formed at the town of Gauley...
. When the original Civic Center opened in January 1959 at the cost of $2.5 million, it consisted of a 6,000-seat arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
and the 750-seat "Little Theater."
The Civic Center underwent its first renovation and expansion in 1964 when 2,400 additional seats were added to the arena and a paved parking lot and an ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
were added to the facilities. The $1.5 million project was financed through the sale of revenue bond
Revenue bond
A revenue bond is a special type of municipal bond distinguished by its guarantee of repayment solely from revenues generated by a specified revenue-generating entity associated with the purpose of the bonds, rather than from a tax...
s.
The most significant renovation and expansion began when city voters approved a $10 million general obligation bond sale in 1976 to erect a 13,000-seat coliseum, a two story lobby that connected the new coliseum with the original arena and theater, and remodel the original arena into a convention center. The project also received an additional $10 million in federal matching grants
Categorical grant
Categorical grants are grants, issued by the United States Congress, which may be spent only for narrowly-defined purposes. Additionally, recipients of categorical grants are often required to match a portion of the federal funds...
and was completed in 1980.
Two parking garages were added in 1983, accommodating up to 1,300 cars. In 1994, the 36000 square feet (3,344.5 m²) Grand Hall of the convention center received a new ceiling, paint and lighting and the ice rink was also converted into an exhibit hall in the same year. The last renovations took place between 2004 and 2006 when about $250,000 was spent to renovate the Little Theater.
Common events
The Charleston Civic Center is a venue for a number of annual events and fairs throughout the year. Among the events includes Annual West Virginia Hunting and Fishing Show, West Virginia Association of Fairs & Festivals Conference, West Virginia International Auto Show, West Virginia Sports Show, the Taste of Charleston, and the Capital City Arts & Crafts Fair. Several local high schools hold their promProm
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
s and graduation ceremonies at the Civic Center.
The Civic Center Coliseum also hosts the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of the annual West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference which historically operated exclusively in the state of West Virginia, but has now expanded into Pennsylvania...
postseason tournament, West Virginia State
West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission
The West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission is the main governing body of high school sports, cheerleading, and marching bands in West Virginia. Schools are divided into three classes by total enrollment in grades 9-11 only: A , AA , and AAA ...
High School Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments, music concerts, professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, and basketball games between in-state rivals West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
and Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
. The West Virginia State University
West Virginia State University
West Virginia State University is a historically black public college in Institute, West Virginia, United States. In the Charleston-metro area, the school is usually referred to simply as "State" or "West Virginia State"...
also holds its commencement
Commencement speech
A commencement speech or commencement address is a speech given to graduating students, generally at a university, although the term is also used for secondary education institutions. The "commencement" is a ceremony in which degrees or diplomas are conferred upon graduating students...
ceremonies in the Coliseum.
The Charleston Light Opera Guild conducts performances in the Little Theater throughout the year.
Current issues
During early 2007, Jay DeWispelaere, CEO of Pride Youth Programs, commented on what he felt were the inadequacies of the Charleston Civic Center. DeWispelaere originally came to Charleston to scout the city as a possible location to host Pride Youth Programs' annual anti-drug convention.Among DeWispelaere's comments were that there was an insufficient number of meeting rooms and that the Grand Hall was not large enough for the conference's exhibit area, which includes a helicopter, a rock-climbing wall and other large features. In a stage area set up in the Grand Hall, loudspeakers had to be placed on the floor as they could not be suspended from the ceiling as with most other convention centers. The Grand Hall's low ceiling inhibited spotlight tracking on some portions of the stage area and blocked the view of the stage from the back of the Grand Hall.
As a result of DeWispelaere's comments, Charleston Mayor Danny Jones made the upgrade and expansion of the Civic Center a platform of his successful May 15, 2007 mayoral reelection campaign. On June 11, 2007, the Charleston City Council authorized a feasibility study on the expansion or replacement of the existing structure. Conventions, Sports & Leisure Int'l, a facilities planning firm in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
and Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, and the DLR Group, an architectural firm in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, were hired to conducted the study.
As part of the expansion plans, the City of Charleston inquired about purchasing a 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) tract near the existing Civic Center and owned by the Beni Kedem Temple, a chapter of the Shriners
Shriners
The Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, also commonly known as Shriners and abbreviated A.A.O.N.M.S., established in 1870, is an appendant body to Freemasonry, based in the United States...
fraternal organization. However, the Beni Kedem members voted to table the mission to sell the property to the city.