Compaq Center (Houston)
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| Compaq Center | |
| Facility Statistics | |
| Location | 10 Greenway Plaza Houston, Texas 77046 |
| Opened | November 2, 1975 |
| Closed | December 2003 |
| Owner | The City of Houston |
| Construction Cost | $27 million USD |
| Architect | |
| Former Names | |
| The Summit | 1975-1998 |
| Tenants | |
| Houston Aeros (WHA) | 1975-1979 |
| Houston Summit (MISL) | 1978-1980 |
| Houston Rockets (NBA) | 1975-2003 |
| Houston Aeros (IHL/AHL) | 1994-2003 |
| Houston Hotshots (CISL - WISL) | 1994-1997 1999-2000 |
| Houston Comets (WNBA) | 1997-2003 |
| Houston Thunderbears (Arena) | 1998-2001 |
| Houston Hotshots (WISL) | 1999-2000 |
| Seating Capacity | |
| 2001 Basketball | 16,285 |
| 2001 Hockey | 15,256 |
The Compaq Center, once named The Summit, was a basketball and hockey arena in Houston, Texas. It has been converted to a megachurch, Lakewood Church, pastored by Joel Osteen.
The arena, named after computer manufacturer Compaq under a naming rights arrangement, housed the Houston Comets, Houston Aeros, and Houston Rockets until fall 2003. The sports teams left this stadium in favor of the new Toyota Center in downtown Houston.
This was the first sports arena in the Houston area to be named under a naming rights agreement; in 2000, Reliant Energy, under a naming rights arrangement, renamed the Astrodome (Houston Astrodome, Astrohall, and Astroarena) as Reliant Park, where Reliant Stadium also stands.
It hosted the WWF Royal Rumble in 1989, WWF No Way Out of Texas in 1998 and WWE Bad Blood in 2003.
Also, the rock band Queen recorded and filmed a heavily bootlegged concert at this venue on December 11, 1977 on the group's News Of The World tour. This concert was considered one of Queen's most famous concerts.
Even a 1981 performance from the rock band Journey at this venue was released as the CD and DVD package Live in Houston 1981: The Escape Tour in 2005.
The Compaq Center is located near the Greenway Plaza mixed-use complex. With the sports teams gone, the City of Houston leased the arena to Lakewood Church which reportedly invested $95 million to convert the arena into a megachurch.
Unlike the Forum in Inglewood, California, which its church (Faithful Central Bible Church) still rents out occasionally, the Lakewood Church is the only tenant allowed to use the Compaq Center.
| Preceded by: Hofheinz Pavilion 1971–1975 |
Home of the Houston Rockets 1975–2003 |
Succeeded by: Toyota Center 2003–present |
