Coliseum at Richfield
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Coliseum at Richfield | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | 2923 Streetsboro Road Richfield, OH 44286 |
| Opened | 1974 |
| Closed | 1994 |
| Demolished | 1999 |
| Owner | |
| Tenants | Cleveland Barons (NHL) (1976-1979) Cleveland Crusaders (WHA) (1974-1976) Cleveland Cavaliers (NBA) (1974-1994) Cleveland Force (MISL) (1978-1992) Cleveland Lumberjacks (IHL} (1992-1994) Cleveland Thunderbolts (AFL) (1992-1994) |
| Capacity | Basketball: 20,273 Hockey: 18,544 |
The Coliseum at Richfield was an arena formerly located in Richfield Township in Summit County, Ohio, roughly halfway between Cleveland and Akron. It was home to the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, WHA's Cleveland Crusaders, NHL's Cleveland Barons, MISL's Cleveland Force, MISL,& NPSL's Cleveland Crunch, the IHL's Cleveland Lumberjacks, and the AFL's Cleveland Thunderbolts. It hosted the 1981 NBA All-Star Game and WWF's Survivor Series 1987, Survivor Series 1988, and Survivor Series 1992.
The arena, which opened in 1974, replaced the then-decrepit Cleveland Arena. The new arena seated 20,000 for basketball and 18,500 for hockey, and was one of the first indoor arenas to contain luxury boxes. Nick Mileti was the driving force behind the Coliseum's construction, believing that its location in northern Summit County south of Cleveland near the confluence of the Ohio Turnpike and Interstates 77 and 271 was ideally suited given the growth of urban sprawl. The Coliseum was built in Richfield to draw fans from both of Northeast Ohio's major cities, as nearly 5 million Ohioans lived within less than an hour's drive (in good weather) from the Coliseum. While the arena's location hindered attendance somewhat, nevertheless, the Cavaliers' average attendance was over 18,000 per game each of the last 2 seasons at the Coliseum.
It also hosted many concerts, with its first event being a concert by Frank Sinatra. Other artists who performed there over the years either as openers or headliners include Ozzy Osbourne, Van Halen, David Bowie, Neil Young, John Denver, Sonic Youth, Social Distortion, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, The Grateful Dead, The Police, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, The Who, Duran Duran, Paul Simon, The Power Station, Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Diamond, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Elvis Presley, R.E.M., Kiss, Yes, Rush, U2, Bob Dylan, Guns N Roses, Skid Row, The Pixies and many other legends of 20th Century rock and roll. It was the site of the boxing match in 1975 between Muhammad Ali and Chuck Wepner which inspired the movie Rocky.[1]
Though a large arena at the time of construction it had only one concourse for both levels, which became crowded during games at which the attendance was anywhere close to capacity. The Coliseum's real drawback was that the luxury suites, which generate much revenue, were at the uppermost level and as such were the worst seats in the house. Once plans for Gund Arena (now Quicken Loans Arena) in downtown Cleveland were announced in 1991, where the suites were much closer to the playing area, the Coliseum became economically obsolete.
Another hindrance to attendance was the arena's location at the intersection of Interstate 271 and Ohio State Route 303, which was a rural, two-lane highway outside of Richfield. Traffic became an issue with every Coliseum event, especially with lake-effect snow from Lake Erie providing another obstacle to drivers during the winter months.
After lying vacant for five years, the arena was torn down in 1999, and the arena and surrounding parking areas were allowed to be returned to woodland as part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Chuck Wepner's official website. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
- ^ Chilcote, Lee. "The Rise and Fall of Richfield Coliseum", Land & People, The Trust for Public Land, Fall 1999. Retrieved on 2008-01-12.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Cleveland Arena |
Home of the Cleveland Cavaliers 1974 – 1994 |
Succeeded by Gund Arena/Quicken Loans Arena |
| Preceded by Oakland Coliseum Arena |
Home of the Cleveland Barons 1976 – 1979 |
Succeeded by Met Center |
| Preceded by Capital Centre |
Host of the NBA All-Star Game 1981 |
Succeeded by Brendan Byrne Arena |
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