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James Brown Arena (formerly known as Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center) is a multi-purpose complex located in Augusta, Georgia. It is managed by Spectra Experiences.

James Brown Arena
Former namesAugusta-Richmond County Civic Center (1980–2006)
Location601 7th Street
Augusta, GA 30901
OwnerAugusta–Richmond County Coliseum Authority
OperatorGlobal Spectrum
Capacity9,167
6,557 (hockey)
7,255 (basketball)
Construction
Broke ground1968
Opened1974 (Exhibition hall)
January 24, 1980 (Arena)[1]
Construction cost$11 million[2]
($60.4 million in 2021 dollars[3])
ArchitectPei Cobb Freed & Partners
Holroyd, Johnson, Hughes, Beattie & Davis[4]
Structural engineerLeMessurier Associates[4]
Services engineerCosentini Associates LLP[4]
Tenants
Augusta Lynx (ECHL) (1998–2008)
Augusta Stallions (af2) (2000–2002)
Augusta Spartans (AIFL/WIFL) (2006–2007)
Augusta RiverHawks (SPHL) (2010–2013)
James Brown Arena in 2017
James Brown Arena in 2017

It features an 8,000-seat arena, renamed the James Brown Arena, in honor of musician James Brown on August 22, 2006. The complex also features a 2,800-seat theater, the William B. Bell Auditorium, and a 14,500-square-foot (1,350 m2) exhibit hall that opens into a 23,000-square-foot (2,100 m2) arena floor.

The James Brown Arena is the former home of the ECHL's Augusta Lynx from 1998–2008, the AF2's Augusta Stallions from 2000–2002, Augusta Spartans from 2006-2007, and the Southern Professional Hockey League's Augusta RiverHawks from 2010–2013.

The Arena hosted UFC 11.

The arena has also hosted many concerts and pro wrestling events, including ECW's December to Dismember in 2006. Many bands have played the arena including Van Halen, Rush, Heart, Bob Seger, REO Speedwagon, KISS, Bon Jovi, Molly Hatchet, John Cougar, Kansas, Charlie Daniels Band, Alabama, Blackfoot, Mother's Finest, Ratt, Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Marshall Tucker Band, and Loverboy.

The center-hung Fair Play scoreboard dates to the arena's opening in 1980, and in recent years has been joined by additional scoreboards and a Trans-Lux LED video display which can be found at each end of the arena.


The Future of the Arena


In August 2017, the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority voted 4-2 to relocate the James Brown Arena to the former Regency Mall location off on Gordon Highway in South Augusta.

The proposed site called for a new development at the Regency Mall site called Regency Town Center & Park. The development would feature a new James Brown Arena, new retail shops and restaurants, and new apartments as well.

Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis was a key proponent of the move as he pushed for more redevelopment efforts in the Gordon Highway area in an area he called SOGO (South of Gordon Highway).[5]

Local high school students attend CSRA College Night at the James Brown Arena.
Local high school students attend CSRA College Night at the James Brown Arena.

Soon following the Coliseum Authority's vote, local residents launched the "Save The J" campaign which advocated for keeping the James Brown Arena at its current location in Downtown Augusta.

Augusta commissioners voted down the proposed site in a December 2017 before ultimately deciding to put the question of should a new arena be built on the Regency Mall site or its current site in Downtown on the Republican and Democratic primary ballots in May 2018.

A majority of Augustans voted to keep the Arena at its current location with 57% of voters in support of that.[6]

Plans soon began to be developed for a new James Brown Arena to be constructed on the current site before plans were revealed in early 2021 for a new arena.

The new arena plans call for a 10,000 seat capacity featuring meeting rooms, twelve suites, and a new connector between the Bell Auditorium and the James Brown Arena all with an estimated cost of $228 million for construction.[7]

The new James Brown Arena is scheduled to be on the November 2021 ballot for a bond referendum vote. If the bond referendum passes, the estimated time of completion would have been Fall 2024.[8][9] Despite a less than ten percent voter turnout, the bond referendum was rejected, forcing the Coliseum Authority to look for alternate sources of funding.[10]


Incidents


In late February 2013, the arena's ice system malfunctioned, causing all of the arena's ice to melt. As a result, following the playing of the remaining 2012-13 regular season games at the RiverHawks practice facility, the Augusta RiverHawks suspended operations for the 2013-14 season. After team owner Bob Kerzner, the city of Augusta, and Global Spectrum failed to reach an agreement on how to replace the $1.2 million ice system, Kerzner and the SPHL announced that the RiverHawks would move to Macon and resume play as the Macon Mayhem for the 2015-16 SPHL season.[11][12]


See also



References


  1. "Center Opening". Waycross Journal. January 12, 1980.
  2. "Civic Center Hope of Downtown, Says Charlotte Coliseum Official". The Rock Hill Herald. July 2, 1973.
  3. 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 April 16, 2022.
  4. "Pei Cobb Freed & Partners". Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
  5. Turner, Stephanie. "Regency Mall site eyed for proposed James Brown Arena relocation". Post and Courier. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  6. McCord, Susan. "Downtown arena 'yes' votes prevail". Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  7. Reichard, Kevin (2020-09-19). "New James Brown Arena design unveiled". Arena Digest. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  8. Harris, Kennedi. "Construction plans unveiled for new James Brown Arena". www.wrdw.com. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  9. "Home". The New James Brown Arena. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  10. "Richmond County voters reject funding new James Brown Arena". Augusta Chronicle. November 2, 2021. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  11. Seibel, Ron. "Macon Mayhem to hit ice in 2015". Macon Telegraph. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
  12. "SPHL Approves RiverHawks' Move To Macon, GA For 2015-2016 Season". The SPHL. Retrieved 25 June 2014.


Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Brown Arena.
Events and tenants
Preceded by Ultimate Fighting Championship venue
UFC 11
UFC 13		 Succeeded by


На других языках

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La James Brown Arena (anciennement l'Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center) est un complexe polyvalent situé à Augusta (Géorgie).


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