Jacksonville Coliseum

Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum
The Coliseum; The Sports Mecca of the South
	Exterior of the venue (c.1996)
Former names	Jacksonville Coliseum (1960–68)
Address	1145 E Adams St; Jacksonville, FL 32202
Location	Downtown Jacksonville
Owner	City of Jacksonville
Operator	SMG
Capacity	10,276
Construction
Broke ground	1958
Opened	November 24, 1960
Renovated	1995
Closed	June 20, 2003
Demolished	June 26, 2003
Construction cost	US$3 million; ($31.7 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	A. Eugene Cellar; George Ryad Fisher;
General contractor	Daniel Construction
Tenants
	Jacksonville Rockets (EHL) (1964–72); Jacksonville Dolphins (NCAA) (1969–99); The Floridians (ABA) (1971–72); Jacksonville Barons (AHL) (1973–74); Jacksonville Tea Men (NASL) (1980–82); Jacksonville Bullets (SuHL/SHL) (1992–96); Jacksonville Stingrays (WBL) (1992); Jacksonville Lizard Kings (ECHL) (1995–2000); Jacksonville Tomcats (AF2) (2000–02); Jacksonville Barracudas (ACHL) (2002–03)

Last updated May 07, 2024

The Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum (originally and still commonly known as the Jacksonville Coliseum) was a multi-purpose arena located in Jacksonville, Florida. Built in 1960 and known as "northern Florida's most historic concert venue",^[2] it was home to most of the city's indoor professional sports teams and it hosted various concerts, circuses, and other events. It was demolished in 2003 and replaced with the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

History

The Coliseum was dedicated on November 24, 1960. The general contractor was Daniel Construction, and construction took two years and cost $3 million. The first event was the first ice hockey game ever played in Jacksonville, featuring the New York Rovers and Charlotte Clippers on November 30. The first events scheduled included an automobile show, a boat show, boxing matches, the circus, an ice skating show, a pro basketball exhibition game and a tennis tournament.^[3]

Events

Ice hockey teams based in the Coliseum included the Jacksonville Rockets (1964–1972) of the Eastern Hockey League,^[4] the Jacksonville Barons (1973–74), the Jacksonville Bullets (1992–96), and the Jacksonville Lizard Kings (1995–2000). (Fans of the Lizard Kings referred to the coliseum as the "Reptilian Pavilion.") The American Basketball Association franchise known as The Floridians played some of its home games there in 1971 and 1972.

The Jacksonville Dolphins utilized the coliseum for their home basketball games from 1969 to 1999,^[5]^[6] and it hosted the 1981 Sun Belt Conference and 1999 and 2000 Atlantic Sun Conference men's basketball tournaments.

The Jacksonville Tea Men of the NASL played indoor soccer home games at the coliseum during the 1980–81 & 1981–82 seasons.

The Jacksonville Tomcats of the af2, the Arena Football League's developmental league, called the Coliseum home from 2000 to 2002.

The WCW events WrestleWar 1992 and WCW Greed (the final pay-per-view before WCW's acquisition by the World Wrestling Federation) were staged at the coliseum, as well as some episodes of WCW Monday Nitro .^[7]

Hundreds of thousands of Duval County high school students received their diplomas at ceremonies in the Coliseum, and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train stopped in Jacksonville for two weeks of shows every January for decades. The fairgrounds were adjacent to the Coliseum, and the Greater Jacksonville Agricultural Fair incorporated the facility into their November event, hosting music concerts, entertainers and exhibitions. Monster truck shows, tractor pulls and motocross events were also very popular over the years.^[4]

The Coliseum hosted hundreds of concerts and shows during its 43-year history, including Grand Funk Railroad in 1970,Rush, Bob Dylan, Duran Duran, Billy Joel, Black Sabbath, Bon Jovi, Frank Sinatra, Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, New Kids On The Block, The Smashing Pumpkins, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Led Zeppelin, Jacksonville's Lynyrd Skynyrd, Journey, AC/DC, Deep Purple, Wishbone Ash, Grateful Dead, Judas Priest, Three Dog Night, Def Leppard and Iron Maiden.^[4]^[8]

Famous Southern rock bands from Jacksonville that played at the Coliseum were The Allman Brothers Band in 1970, Lynyrd Skynyrd in '75, 38 Special in '82, Molly Hatchet in '85, Blackfoot in '80, and also Limp Bizkit played there in 2000. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from Gainesville played there in '87.

Demolition

By the 1990s, it became harder for promoters to fill the seats of the Coliseum. The venue was designed in the late 1950s before the advent of the rock concert, and strong bass and drums reverberated off the dome.^[4] The facility had not been renovated since its construction in 1960, giving the arena an outdated feel. It looked like a water treatment plant, according to Mayor John Delaney.^[7] Considered a mid-sized venue at best against its larger competitors, concert promoters for the most popular acts wanted venues with at least 15,000 seats; performers disliked the building's poor acoustics and the structure couldn't support the elaborate special effects lighting and sound equipment which rock concerts had come to require. The Eagles, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews and Fleetwood Mac all declined to perform at the Coliseum, although the acts wanted to perform in Jacksonville.^[7] The venue was still able to house exhibition shows, special events and several country acts including Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Wynonna Judd and the Dixie Chicks.

The Coliseum was imploded on June 26, 2003, and replaced with the $130 million Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.^[7] Extreme care was taken not to damage the black granite Veterans Memorial Wall located just eight feet from the east wall of the building. After the debris was cleared, a 2-acre (8,100 m²) walking park was added to the area around the Memorial.^[2]^[9]

Related Research Articles

Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom, and Bob Burns (drums). The band spent five years touring small venues under various names and with several lineup changes before deciding on "Lynyrd Skynyrd" in 1969. The band released its first album, (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), in 1973. By then, they had settled on a lineup that included bassist Leon Wilkeson, keyboardist Billy Powell, and guitarist Ed King. Burns left and was replaced by Artimus Pyle in 1974. King left in 1975 and was replaced by Steve Gaines in 1976. At the height of their fame in the 1970s, the band popularized the Southern rock genre with songs such as "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird". After releasing five studio albums and one live album, the band's career was abruptly halted on October 20, 1977, when their chartered airplane crashed, killing Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines; and seriously injuring the rest of the band.

Ronald Wayne Van Zant was an American singer, best known as the original lead vocalist, primary lyricist and a founding member of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was the older brother of Johnny Van Zant, the current Lynyrd Skynyrd lead vocalist, and Donnie Van Zant, the founder and vocalist of the rock band .38 Special.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greensboro Coliseum Complex</span> Arena in North Carolina, United States

The Greensboro Coliseum Complex, commonly referred to as Greensboro Coliseum, is an entertainment and sports complex located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Opened in 1959, the complex holds eight venues that includes an amphitheater, arena, aquatic center, banquet hall, convention center, museum, theatre, and an indoor pavilion. It is the home of the UNC Greensboro Spartans men's basketball team, the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League, the Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League, as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with their Men's and Women's basketball tournaments.

The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of Southern California, which managed and operated both venues under a master lease agreement with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. The arena was closed in April 2016, and was demolished in September of that same year. It was replaced with BMO Stadium, home of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC, which opened in 2018.

The Veterans Memorial Coliseum is an indoor arena located in the oldest part of the Rose Quarter area in Portland, Oregon. The arena is the home of the Portland Winterhawks, a major junior ice hockey team, and was the original home of the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. It has been included on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its architectural significance.

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References

↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
1 2 "Demolition Dynamics & D.H. Griffin implode renowned entertainment venue" Implosion World Website, Blasts from the Past
↑ Foley, Bill: "Hope and hype greeted Coliseum in 1960" Florida Times-Union, June 22, 2003
1 2 3 4 MacDonald, Dan: "Bring down the House" Archived December 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Florida Times-Union, June 22, 2003
↑ "Former JU athletic director Judson Harris dies" Florida Times-Union, May 31, 2010
↑ Frenette, Gene: "More lowlights than highlights" Florida Times-Union, June 22, 2003
1 2 3 4 Palka, Mary Kelli: "Arena takes the stage from old Coliseum" Florida Times-Union, June 22, 2003
↑ "Coliseum acts: A who's who list" Florida times-Union, June 22, 2003
↑ Self, Bob: "Coliseum imploded" Florida Times-Union, June 26, 2003

30°19′29″N81°38′27″W / 30.3245961°N 81.640901°W / 30.3245961; -81.640901

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[inflation-US-1] 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[IMP-2] 1 2 "Demolition Dynamics & D.H. Griffin implode renowned entertainment venue" Implosion World Website, Blasts from the Past

[3] Foley, Bill: "Hope and hype greeted Coliseum in 1960" Florida Times-Union, June 22, 2003

[DOWN-4] 1 2 3 4 MacDonald, Dan: "Bring down the House" Archived December 16, 2010, at the Wayback Machine Florida Times-Union, June 22, 2003

[5] "Former JU athletic director Judson Harris dies" Florida Times-Union, May 31, 2010

[6] Frenette, Gene: "More lowlights than highlights" Florida Times-Union, June 22, 2003

[ARENA-7] 1 2 3 4 Palka, Mary Kelli: "Arena takes the stage from old Coliseum" Florida Times-Union, June 22, 2003

[8] "Coliseum acts: A who's who list" Florida times-Union, June 22, 2003

[9] Self, Bob: "Coliseum imploded" Florida Times-Union, June 26, 2003

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v t e Jacksonville Dolphins men's basketball
Venues	Swisher Gymnasium (1953–present) Jacksonville Coliseum (1969–1999) Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena (2003–2015)
People	Head coaches Statistical leaders
Seasons	List of seasons 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24
NCAA Final Four appearance in italics

v t e Music venues of Florida
Outdoor	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Camping World Stadium Capital City Amphitheater Coral Sky Amphitheatre Daily's Place Daytona Beach Bandshell FIU Stadium Hard Rock Stadium Klipsch Amphitheater LoanDepot Park MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre Mizner Park Amphitheater Pompano Beach Amphitheater Raymond James Stadium St. Augustine Amphitheatre Sunset Cove Amphitheater TIAA Bank Field Universal Music Plaza Stage
Arenas	Addition Financial Arena Amalie Arena Bradenton Area Convention Center Bud Adams Equestrian Center Donald L. Tucker Civic Center Expo Hall FLA Live Arena Hard Rock Live Hertz Arena Kaseya Center Kia Center Jenkins Arena Lee County Civic Center O'Connell Center Ocean Center Arena Pensacola Bay Center Silver Spurs Arena The Venue at UCF Tropicana Field VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena Watsco Center West Palm Beach Christian Convention Center Yuengling Center
Theaters and clubs	Beacham Theatre Capitol Theatre Club La Vela The Fillmore Miami Beach Florida Theatre Freebird Live Hard Rock Live Henegar Center Jannus Live Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium Lyric Theater Lyric Theatre Mahaffey Theater Maltz Jupiter Theatre Marina Civic Center Miami-Dade County Auditorium Murray Hill Theatre New World Center Olympia Theater Parker Playhouse Peabody Auditorium Ritz Theatre The Ritz Ybor Ruth Eckerd Hall Saenger Theatre State Theatre Sunrise Theatre Tampa Theatre The Plaza Live Polk Theatre YouKey Theatre
Performing arts centers	Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts Broward Center for the Performing Arts Coral Springs Center for the Arts Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts King Center for the Performing Arts Knight Center Complex Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts Straz Center for the Performing Arts Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center
Festivals	Calle Ocho Festival Cornerstone Florida Electric Daisy Carnival Florida Azalea Festival Florida Music Festival Florida Strawberry Festival Jacksonville Jazz Festival Lakeside Jazz Festival Langerado Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival One Spark Springing the Blues SunFest Ultra Music Festival
Historic venues	Amway Arena Bayfront Center Bob Carr Theater Cameo Theater Coconut Grove Convention Center Coconut Grove Playhouse Curtis Hixon Hall Dixie Crystal Theatre Gator Bowl Stadium Hollywood Sportatorium Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum Lincoln Theatre Metropolitan Park Miami Arena Miami Jai-Alai Fronton Miami Marine Stadium Miami Orange Bowl Orange County Civic Center Orlando Sports Stadium Roxy Theater State Theatre Sunrise Musical Theater Tampa Stadium

Construction
The Coliseum The Sports Mecca of the South
Exterior of the venue (c.1996)

Former names	Jacksonville Coliseum (1960–68)
Address	1145 E Adams St Jacksonville, FL 32202
Location	Downtown Jacksonville
Owner	City of Jacksonville
Operator	SMG
Capacity	10,276
Broke ground	1958
Opened	November 24, 1960 (1960-11-24)
Renovated	1995
Closed	June 20, 2003 (2003-06-20)
Demolished	June 26, 2003 (2003-06-26)
Construction cost	US$3 million ($31.7 million in 2023 dollars^[1])
Architect	A. Eugene Cellar George Ryad Fisher
General contractor	Daniel Construction
Tenants
Jacksonville Rockets (EHL) (1964–72) Jacksonville Dolphins (NCAA) (1969–99) The Floridians (ABA) (1971–72) Jacksonville Barons (AHL) (1973–74) Jacksonville Tea Men (NASL) (1980–82) Jacksonville Bullets (SuHL/SHL) (1992–96) Jacksonville Stingrays (WBL) (1992) Jacksonville Lizard Kings (ECHL) (1995–2000) Jacksonville Tomcats (AF2) (2000–02) Jacksonville Barracudas (ACHL) (2002–03)