The Aud...

[Eleven]

An interesting article in this week's Artvoice discussed the situation with Memorial Auditorium, and included this sidebar on other former hockey venues. We haven't built an international news headquarters on the Aud site, but we haven't turned it into shopping mall parking, either. Seems Buffalo is about par for the course:

 

What Became of Other Former NHL Arenas?

 

Buffalo and Montreal are not the only cities that have had to deal with the dilemma of an old arena. Here is a scorecard of some more notable cities and the fate of their grand old barns:

 

Atlanta, the Omni?Located downtown, the Omni was demolished and the land used to construct the replacement venue, Philips Arena, as well as part of the breathtaking CNN World Headquarters.

 

Boston, Boston Garden?Demolished in 1997 after the replacement venue, now called TD Banknorth Garden, was erected literally a few feet away from the old place. The old Garden scoreboard is on display at the Arsenal Mall in Watertown, Massachusetts.

 

Chicago, Chicago Stadium?A massive arena, this building was situated right across the street from the United Center. It was demolished for parking in 1995.

 

Dallas, Reunion Arena?Shuttered since the Stars and Mavericks moved across downtown to the American Airlines Center, numerous plans for reuse have faltered. Right on the edge of downtown, looks now that it will be demolished.

 

Detroit, Olympia?This perfectly fine arena was abandoned in the early 1980s because money talked, and the Red Wings moved downtown to the hideous Joe Louis Arena. The Olympia was demolished in 1986 and the US National Guard Armory erected on the site.

 

Los Angeles, Great Western Forum?The Kings and Lakers are long gone, but the building still stands in Inglewood next to Hollywood Park and is used for concerts and shows.

 

Philadelphia, the Spectrum?Still standing, still open and part of the four-venue ?sports complex? in south Philly. The city?s AHL team, the Phantoms, is the primary tenant.

 

St. Louis, St. Louis Arena, a.k.a. Checkerdome?The Blues moved to their spiffy new downtown arena in 1994. This old venue sat vacant for five years and was demolished in 1999.

 

Toronto, Maple Leaf Gardens?Initially used for minor league hockey and special events after the Leafs left in 1999, now mothballed and debate for reuse is ongoing.

 

Vancouver, Pacific Coliseum?The Canucks might have moved out to their glitzy new GM Place downtown, but the old Coliseum is still used by their WHL junior hockey team.

 

Winnipeg, Winnipeg Arena?No longer an NHL city sadly, and the gorgeous new MTS Centre in downtown opened in 2004 and houses the city?s AHL team. Winnipeg Arena, located in the inner suburbs, was demolished in 2005 to expand parking for an adjacent shopping mall.

[FogBat]

I've heard of a lot of old-time hockey fans who loved the Detroit Olympia and Chicago Stadium. More so on the latter because of the old organ they used to have. 'Hawks fans have lamented the fact that the organ couldn't be "transplanted" from the CS to the UC.

 

I haven't seen pics of the Joe in Detroit. However, I've heard a lot of wonderful things about what used to be the Olympia.

 

The Forum? No matter how much we may despise the Habs, the Forum, in all appearances, was a one-of-a-kind building. The "ghosts" appear to have stayed at the Forum instead of making their way over to the Bell Centre. I say this because the Habs haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1993. Money talks? Don't tell the ghosts that!

[Bmwolf21]

Great post, Eleven. It sucks that so many of the old arenas, ones that have so much history and tradition, end up crumbling under the wrecking ball.

[DWarner]

I thought Maple Leaf Gardens was going to be turned into a super market, but that seems to be stalled. I think the Aud would make a great Wegmans. I'm not sure how far away the closest stone would be, but I think a lot more people would live down town if they had a store close by.

 

 

DW for mayor in 2010!!

[FogBat]

I thought Maple Leaf Gardens was going to be turned into a super market, but that seems to be stalled. I think the Aud would make a great Wegmans. I'm not sure how far away the closest stone would be, but I think a lot more people would live down town if they had a store close by.

DW for mayor in 2010!!

I don't live around Buffalo anymore, so I can't vote for you.

 

BTW, how is Byron Brown doing as mayor? From what I read about him, he's a downstate native.

[ExiledInIllinois]

I've heard of a lot of old-time hockey fans who loved the Detroit Olympia and Chicago Stadium. More so on the latter because of the old organ they used to have. 'Hawks fans have lamented the fact that the organ couldn't be "transplanted" from the CS to the UC.

 

I haven't seen pics of the Joe in Detroit. However, I've heard a lot of wonderful things about what used to be the Olympia.

 

The Forum? No matter how much we may despise the Habs, the Forum, in all appearances, was a one-of-a-kind building. The "ghosts" appear to have stayed at the Forum instead of making their way over to the Bell Centre. I say this because the Habs haven't won a Stanley Cup since 1993. Money talks? Don't tell the ghosts that!

 

I mentioned earlier that a friend that used to play goalie (not an NHLer... Yet, hobknobbed with old-time 'Hawks) said that the ice at the Olympia and Aud were the worse! Go figure!

 

Maybe he is just Chicago biased, but said the the ice at the "Old Barn" (Chicago Stadium) was one of the best... They would actually leave the shipping and receiving doors open on cold, dry days... Like we are having now...

 

He has claimed to have skated in those arena's... Not sure what he was doing at the Aud or Olympia?... Maybe he is giving me a line of sh*t? :D

 

I know he doesn't have warm feelings for the Sabres or Detroit and is fond of the Habs...

 

I think the "French Connection" and what the Sabres did to the 'Hawks ( :death: :death: ) in the two playoff appearances against the Sabres in the 1970's has something to do with that?

 

:lol:

[Doohicksie]

I haven't seen pics of the Joe in Detroit. However, I've heard a lot of wonderful things about what used to be the Olympia.

The Joe in Detroit is a modern facility. I say modern in the sense that the layout and technology were geared to hockey (as opposed to some of the much older buildings that were built before they understood the best way to design for that particular use). However, it has no personality that wouldn't travel to another venue; the personality is with the fans and the banners hanging from the ceiling. The building itself is kind of stark and is pretty much of the concrete monolith school of design.

 

I think discussions to replace it are in the works. The sad part is that the Joe is the House that Stevie Y. Built; he played the bulk of his career there. When they move away it really will be the end of an era.

[cesna]

This is not going to be popular but....

 

I think they should tear down the Aud and the Buffalo Convention Center @ the same time. After the Aud has been leveled, they should build a "state of the art" convention center in it's place.

 

I have alot of great memories from the Aud but, this city needs to evolve and that building has become an eyesore!!!!! If I have to look @ the picture of Hasek on the side of the Aud one more time I'm gonna puke.

 

Oh... and they should move the scoreboard from the Aud into the front atrium inside HSBC Arena. They should also put rows of seats from the Aud up for sale to the general public. Trust me... the city could use the money!!!!

 

Just my 2 cents!

[LabattBlue]

This is not going to be popular but....

 

I think they should tear down the Aud and the Buffalo Convention Center @ the same time. After the Aud has been leveled, they should build a "state of the art" convention center in it's place.

 

I have alot of great memories from the Aud but, this city needs to evolve and that building has become an eyesore!!!!! If I have to look @ the picture of Hasek on the side of the Aud one more time I'm gonna puke.

 

Oh... and they should move the scoreboard from the Aud into the front atrium inside HSBC Arena. They should also put rows of seats from the Aud up for sale to the general public. Trust me... the city could use the money!!!!

 

Just my 2 cents!

The Aud should come down. Otherwise it will sit there mothballed FOREVER. If somebody wanted to go in there, it would have happened already. It's been 10 years.

 

The convention center. A couple of things...

 

1.Don't overspend on a HUGE convention center, because you will never draw the big conventions.

If you really need to build a new one go ahead, but the size should be close to the current one.

 

2.Consider renovating the current one both inside and out. It is okay size wise and location wise, but its current state is really poor. Start by either fixing the sign across the street or tearing it down. I just drove by it yesterday and they had floodlights on top of it, but in order to add color to them, they taped the cheap colored plastic over each fixture. :lol: :lol: On top of that, I don't thing the electronic portion of the sign was worked in years, but I could be wrong.

 

3.Until they commit money to the convention & visitors bureau that is needed to attract conventions to the area, building a new one or renovating the current one is a moot point. The funding of this group is slashed year after year and they operate on a bare bones budget.

[McJeff215]

Atlanta, the Omni?Located downtown, the Omni was demolished and the land used to construct the replacement venue, Philips Arena, as well as part of the breathtaking CNN World Headquarters.

 

Philips is a nice venue but I'd hardly call CNN "breathtaking." I ate lunch there every day for about four years and if it's not the pigeons, it's the bums.

 

I honestly don't think there's a bad seat at Phillips. It's a great concert venue, too.

 

-Jeff

[All Along The Watchtower]

Not that it was a classic hockey barn by any means, but the old Capital Centre in Landover, MD is now a shopping center/movie multiplex...I don't miss making the trip out there at all. The Verizon Center in downtown DC works fine as far as location and amenities.