| Louis J. Tullio Arena | |
|---|---|
| Erie Civic Center | |
| Location | 809 French Street Erie, Pennsylvania 16501 |
| Broke ground | September 1981 |
| Opened | June 7, 1983[1] |
| Owner | Erie County Convention Center Authority |
| Operator | Erie County Convention Center Authority |
| Construction cost | $9.3 million[1] ($20.5 million in 2012 dollars[2]) |
| Capacity |
5,524 (Hockey)
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| Tenants | |
| Erie Otters (OHL) (1996–present) Erie BayHawks (D-League) (2008–present) Erie Freeze (AIFA) (2005–2007) Erie Explosion (UIFL) (2008-present) Erie Panthers (ECHL) (1988–1996) 2011 NCAA Women's Frozen Four |
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The Louis J. Tullio Arena (commonly referred to as just Tullio Arena or Erie Civic Center) is a 5,586-seat multi-purpose arena, in Erie, Pennsylvania, United States.
It was built in 1983, as part of the Erie Civic Center complex, which also includes the Warner Theatre and Jerry Uht Park.
The arena is named after former Erie mayor Louis J. Tullio.
The arena features 30,000 square feet (3,000 m2) of trade show and exhibit space for conventions and trade shows. There are five suites at the arena, each seating 20. As a concert venue, the Arena seats up to 7,938 in center-stage configuration and 7,526 in end-stage configuration. The suites are not used during end-stage concert configurations.
It is home to the Erie Otters ice hockey team, the Erie Explosion indoor football team, and the Erie BayHawks basketball team.
The arena is also known as one of the loudest places to play throughout the Ontario Hockey League. This is due to the large amount of bare concrete and lack of sound dampening panels.
It was also the proposed location of the 2002 Memorial Cup, however it was not chosen to host the event.
Renovation plans for the arena have been completed, and the two year construction project is set to start shortly. Upgrades include more seating around the head of the arena, removal of the front parking lot and garage and turning it into a natural amphitheater (convertible to an ice rink during the winter months), an upper bar and restaurant area in the front of the arena overlooking the event area, a brand new glass facade, and a deck on the side of the arena overlooking Jerry Uht Park, among other changes.
The Louis J. Tullio Arena was selected to host the 2011 NCAA Women's Frozen Four ice hockey championship.
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On Monday, February 22, 2010, a fire broke out in a storage room near the upper lobby of the arena. The fire activated the arena's fire suppression system. The system, along with the work of the Erie Fire Department, was able to control the fire in about thirty minutes. The fire caused significant damage to both the storage room and upper lobby area. Operation of the arena was not disrupted. [3]
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