Clarence H. "Du" Burns Arena

Clarence H. "Du" Burns Arena
Du Burns Arena, Du Burns, DuBurns
Location 1301 South Ellwood Ave., Baltimore, Maryland, 21224
Coordinates 39°16′40″N 76°09′27″W / 39.2777°N 76.1576°W / 39.2777; -76.1576Coordinates: 39°16′40″N 76°09′27″W / 39.2777°N 76.1576°W / 39.2777; -76.1576
Owner Baltimore City
Operator Coppermine Fieldhouse, LLC
Capacity 650 (main arena) [1]
Surface Astro-turf (main arena)
Construction
Opened 1991 [2]
Construction cost $6.7 Million
($11.7 million in 2015 dollars)
Tenants
Charm City Roller Girls
Charm City Soccer League
Epic Movement (Christian Church)
Ring of Honor

The Clarence H. "Du" Burns Arena is an indoor sports and entertainment facility in the Baltimore, Maryland neighborhood of Canton. The arena is named after the first African-American Mayor of Baltimore City, Clarence H. Burns.

Management

Originally owned and managed by the City of Baltimore, from 2002-2013 Hail Properties, LLC was the managing company of the Arena. Hail Properties, LLC is a Baltimore based property management company whose current president and chief executive officer is Sparrows Point native Edwin "Ed" F. Hail, Sr. Hail is also the former chairman and chief executive officer of 1st Mariner Bancorp and current owner of the Major Indoor Soccer League franchise Baltimore Blast.[3]

On February 28, 2013, after a dispute with the city of Baltimore, Hale Properties fully relinquish management of the arena, and all Baltimore Blast operations were moved out of the arena. While the Baltimore Blast, did not leave until February 28, operation of the arena and surrounding areas of Du Burns was taken over by Coppermine Fieldhouse, LLC on January 22, 2013.[4]

Coppermine Fieldhouse, LLC also operates another facility in Baltimore named the "Coppermine Fieldhouse".[5]

Arena facilities

The main area of Du Burns is the 650 seat multipurpose arena with a 183’ x 85’ field. The field is dedicated to former facilities manager Mike Woodard.[6] Mike "Wibs" Woodard Field is used for events including, but not limited to, arena football, indoor soccer, indoor lacrosse, professional wrestling, boxing, roller derby, and mixed martial arts.[7] For events that do not use the entire floor surface, addition seating may be added. Most notably, Ring of Honor wrestling brings in its own seat risers for national television taping.

The arena also offers two banquet halls that can seat between 150 and 300 people, depending on the event.[1]

Tenants

Current Tenants

Charm City Roller Girls

Charm City Roller Girls (CCRG), formed in 2005, is a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. In May 2008, after outgrowing Putty Hill Skateland the CCRG began holding their in-house league bouts at the arena.[8]

Teams

Ring of Honor

After the sale of Ring of Honor (ROH) to the Baltimore based Sinclair Broadcast Group in 2011[9] ROH began to hold many of their national television taping at the arena, including the 2012 Survival of the Fittest tournament and Best in the World 2013.

Former Tenants

Baltimore Blast

The Baltimore Blast had been a long time tenant of the arena. The team uses the arena as a house for the front office, open-tryouts, daily in-season practices, and summer soccer camps for youth soccer players.[10] Most practices held by the Blast are free and open to the public.

The Blast also hosted preseason tournaments featuring other members of the MISL.[11]

The Baltimore Blast Cheerleaders also occasionally used the arena as a practice facility.[12]

Baltimore Bombers

In the summer of 2012, the North American Lacrosse League announced an expansion team was granted to Baltimore, named the Bombers. Later that year the Bombers would announce that Du Burns would be their home arena for the 2013 season.[13]

Real Championship Wrestling

In 2009, a start-up professional wrestling promotion named Real Championship Wrestling (RCW) began running shows in Baltimore. After running two shows in an undersized steelworkers union hall, RCW moved their shows to the arena in October 2009.[14]

Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame

In 2003 fund raising began to create a permanent home for the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame. With the help of Mike Woodard, two cabinets were installed, housing all the inductee name plates and Maryland soccer artifacts.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "Training Facility". baltimoreblast.com. Baltimore Blast. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Opening of arena muffles applause for 'Du' Burns". baltimoresun.com. Hearst Corporation. April 21, 1991. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Ed Hale". baltimoresun.com. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  4. ↑ Kevin M. Healey (March 4, 2013). "Hale brought year-round life to Burns Arena". baltimoresun.com. Hearst Corporation. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  5. ↑ Coppermine Fieldhouse. "Coppermine Fieldhouse". copperminefieldhouse.com. Triple Smart. Retrieved March 31, 2013.
  6. ↑ Baltimore Bays (April 24, 2009). "3rd Annual Mike "Wibs" Woodard Celebration of Life Bull Roast & Silent Auction". baltimorebays.net. Baltimore Bays. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  7. ↑ Maryland State Athletic Commission (December 2, 2012). "MARYLAND STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION MINUTES - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2011". http://www.dllr.state.md.us/. Maryland State Athletic Commission. Retrieved January 10, 2013. External link in |work= (help)
  8. ↑ "BOUT RECAPS". charmcityrollergirls.com. Charm City Roller Girls. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  9. ↑ Caldwell, James (2011-05-21). "ROH Breaking News: Ring of Honor sold - ROH announces official sale of the promotion; new television distribution". Pro Wrestling Torch. Retrieved 2011-05-21.
  10. ↑ "Baltimore Blast Summer Soccer Camp at Du Burns Arena". http://northbaltimore.patch.com. Patch.com. June 18, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2013. External link in |work= (help)
  11. ↑ "MISL Expansion Means Tough Duty For Blast". pressboxonline.com. PressBox. October 18, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Baltimore Blast cheerleaders are a professional cheerleading team with emphasis on crowd appeal, fan interaction, and game-day performances". baltimoreblast.com. Baltimore Blast. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Notebook: Nadelen, Marohl, Davis to lead Bombers in debut season". baltimoresun.com. January 8, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Oct. Onslaught music video". The Wrestling Nation. Oct 11, 2009. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  15. ↑ "A History of The Old Timers Soccer Association of Maryland, Inc.". http://www.oldtimerssoccer.net/. Old Timer's Soccer Association of Maryland. Retrieved January 10, 2013. External link in |work= (help)

External links

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