| i wireless Center | |
|---|---|
| Former names | The MARK of the Quad Cities (1993–2007) |
| Location | 1201 River Drive Moline, Illinois 61265 |
| Broke ground | 1991 |
| Opened | May 28, 1993[1] |
| Owner | Quad City Civic Center Authority |
| Operator | Quad City Civic Center Authority |
| Construction cost | $33.4 million[1] ($50.8 million in 2012 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | Ellerbe Becket[3] |
| Project Manager | Huber Hunt Nichols Inc.[4] |
| Capacity | 12,000 (concerts) 3,000 (theater concerts) 6,000 (amphitheater concerts) 9,200 (hockey) |
| Tenants | |
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The i wireless Center is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Moline, Illinois. The arena has garnered numerous architectural industry awards since its construction. The facility opened in May 1993, under the name The MARK of the Quad Cities with the singer Neil Diamond as the opening act.
As of 2010, it is home to the Quad City Mallards of the Central Hockey League.
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The arena has hosted NCAA Division 1 college basketball games (including the Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament from 1996–99) in addition to several NHL and NBA exhibition contests. The now-defunct Quad City Thunder basketball team played all their home games at the i wireless Center from 1993 until the Continental Basketball Association folded six years later. Hockey has also been played at the arena since 1995. The first 12 years by the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League then two years as the Quad City Flames of the American Hockey League before moving to Abbotsford, British Columbia. After the Flames left, the Quad City Mallards were reincarnated in June 2009, and are still playing at the arena. In 2009, Western Illinois University's club hockey team, the Fighting Leathernecks, became the most recent inhabitants of the arena. They are still playing there even though they are only allowed 4 games per season at the venue.
The arena seats up to 12,000 for end-stage concerts and 12,000 for center-stage concerts. It takes only six hours to convert the center into a theater (called The Theater at the i wireless Center). Seating capacity is 3,000 for theater shows, including Broadway shows, concerts and family shows; 6,000 for amphitheater concerts.
The center has also hosted professional wrestling events, including the 1997 Great American Bash pay-per-view, and numerous broadcasts of World Wrestling Entertainment programming, including Monday Night RAW, ECW and SmackDown.
The arena contains 31,000 square feet (2,900 m2) of arena floor space, allowing the arena to be used for trade shows and conventions; adjacent is 20,000 square feet (2,000 m2) of meeting room space and an 11,000-square-foot (1,000 m2) lobby. The attendance record was set in 1996, when more than 12,000 people viewed Neil Diamond's concert.
In August 2005, i wireless (formerly Iowa Wireless, a T-Mobile affiliate) announced a 10-year agreement with The MARK (former name) and the Illinois Quad City Civic Center Authority to secure naming rights to the arena. The name change to the "i wireless Center" occurred July 19, 2007.
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