Greensboro Coliseum Complex thread

[NcSc74]

Geat news. Nice to see G-boro maintain and exceed its convention business. I remember the first time I visited there way back in 93. I think it was the MEAC tourny or a A&T game. That was the first time I was in a big arena like that and i was impressed. I can only imagine what the whole complex looks in person these days.

[cityboi]

The Idea of an ACC Hall of Fame first came up in the early 1990s. Now after almost 20 years the hall will finally open next week. The exterior and interior construction are nearly complete.

http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/02/21/article/acc_honor_hall_will_open_just_in_time_for_fans

BTW the skeleton of the aquatic center is nearly complete and you can already see the dramatic waving roof line.

construction webcam for aquatic center

http://trafficcam19.greensboro-nc.gov/view/view.shtml?id=1468&imagepath=/mjpg/video.mjpg&size=1

Edited February 22, 2011 by cityboi

[cityboi]

large tv media screens may be placed in the large squares above the windows. The screens would show highlights of ACC games.

pictured ACC commissioner John Swofford and other dignitaries

Ribbon-cutting took place this morning for the ACC Hall of Champions. This is the first phase for the hall. There will be future expansion as funding becomes available. Read more below

http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/03/02/article/ribbon_cutting_this_morning_for_acc_hall_of_champions

http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=163942&catid=57

more photos from the ribbon cutting

Unique TV globe

more photos here

http://www.theacc.com/genrel/030211aab.html

Edited March 2, 2011 by cityboi

[cityboi]

looks like Duke and Carolina at tomorrow's ACC Championship game. Here is an aerial of the Greensboro Coliseum after the first major expansion of the 1970s. Some of you are too young to remember when the coliseum looked like this. The capacity was 16,800 then. In the 1970s that was pretty large for a city Greensboro's size and Greensboro had about 145,000 people back then. Hosting the ACC tournament was the motivation for the 1970s expansion. It was in this era when Greensboro hosted NC's first major league sports team, the ABA Carolina Cougars. When the ABA merged with the NBA, some ABA teams such as the Indiana Pacers moved with the NBA. Unfortunately the Carolina Cougars folded before the merger. It was also in this era when Greensboro hosted the 1974 Men's Final Four Championship. The coliseum would again go through a major expansion in the early 1990s once again to keep the ACC Tournament coming back. The roof was raised, the exterior redesigned and 7,000 more seats were added along with an expanded exhibition center. The exhibition center served as Greensboro's convention center until the Koury Convention Center opened in 1990. I will say one thing. I have never seen a city so dedicated to a college sports conference. Millions and millions of dollars have gone into this complex to keep the ACC coming back.

Today

Edited March 13, 2011 by cityboi

[cityboi]

The amphitheater at the Coliseum Complex will be called White Oak amphitheater. The name White Oak was selected in honor of the tree being the City of Greensboro’s official tree and that the lush landscaping that will surround the venue’s seating area will include a selection of white oaks (not to be confused with Greensboro based Red Oak brewery LOL).

The amphitheater seating capacity will be 7,666

http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/03/16/article/greensboro_names_its_new_amphitheater

[cityboi]

Looks like the amphitheater won't just host local or regional acts, its attracting national big names. The Greensboro Coliseum Complex has booked the Beach Boys for the very first concert at the new White Oak Amphitheatre.

http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/article/166933/327/Beach-Boys-Making-Debut-At-Greensboros-Amphitheatre

[cityboi]

The Greensboro Aquatic Center is really taking shape. The coliseum is gonna be one massive complex.

Edited April 25, 2011 by cityboi

[drawscape]

I wish the Coliseum's entrance was on the side facing High Point road, I feel like it could make a strong connection to chapman street and to spring garden during events. I would hope that would bring more small scale places of interest around the coliseum on that side.

[cityboi]

I wish the Coliseum's entrance was on the side facing High Point road, I feel like it could make a strong connection to chapman street and to spring garden during events. I would hope that would bring more small scale places of interest around the coliseum on that side.

It would be nice to see them redesign how people enter the coliseum.

Here is the link to the White Oak Amphitheatre at the coliseum which opens this summer. The first act at the amphittheatre will be the Beach Boys. The Avett Brothers will be performing in October.

https://www.greensborocoliseum.com/page/white-oak-amphitheatre

seating capacity 7,666. Hopefully the configuration was designed for expansion to attract even larger events. I'd like the seating capacity to expand to 18,000 which is the capacity of Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte. The Triad lacks an amphitheater of that size. But this amphitheatre will seat 2,000 more people than the new amphitheater in downtown Raleigh.

Edited May 15, 2011 by cityboi

[cityboi]

The ribbon cutting for the White Oak Amphitheater took place today.

http://www.digtriad.com/news/article/177795/57/White-Oak-Amphitheatre-Hosts-Ribbon-Cutting

[cityboi]

The first concert at the White Oak Amphitheatre is a success. The Beach Boys performed Sunday

http://www.digtriad.com/news/article/178278/57/Thousands-Attend-Amphitheatres-First-Concert

[cityboi]

Another national swimming event planned for the Greensboro Aquatic Center. This means two national championships will now be held at the venue next year.

http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/06/15/article/aquatic_center_announce_national_event_thursday

[cityboi]

more on the YMCA nationals

http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/06/16/article/ymca_short_course_nationals_coming_to_greensboro

[citykidd]

Here is the thing. I wanted both the swim center and ACC hall downtown. But even though they arent going to be downtown, im still excited about both projects because they are worthwhile for our community. I agree that city leaders dont focus on downtown as they should. It takes groups like DGI and Action Greensboro to make things happen downtown. City leaders need to have a "Charlotte" mindset in this case. Downtown should be the the city's hub for cultural and recreational attractions such as the swim center. There is enough hotel rooms in the downtown area for a swim center. If you'll notice the strongest and most prosperous cities have a strong and vibrant downtown that is "THE" commercial, cultural, recreational and entertainment hub of the city, not commercial strips like High Point Rd or airport areas.

Agreed. Greensboro biggest downfall is that it has many great qualities and assets, but they are scattered throughout the entire city which in turns causes the city to compete against itself.

[cityboi]

Exterior of the Greensboro Aquatic Center is almost complete. I'm happy to see that the top white portion is not corrugated metal like in a few of the renderings. That would have made it look cheap.

Edited July 26, 2011 by cityboi

[twincity]

Congrats on landing the 'Watch the Throne' tour! GSO is the only stop between VA and SC.

[cityboi]

Congrats on landing the 'Watch the Throne' tour! GSO is the only stop between VA and SC.

Coliseum manager Matt Brown has done a wonderful job managing the coliseum and recruiting concerts and big events at the coliseum. He deserves a lot of credit luring the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships to Greensboro and a number of other national sporting championships are coming soon. He was the driving force behind all the construction we are seeing at the coliseum and it appears as though the amphitheatre and aquatic center are going to be a huge success. Finally we may actually see the coliseum making money for the city instead of losing money. Its not an easy thing to do with a complex this large without a major league sports team as a tenant. We haven't seen the last of construction at the coliseum. Future plans, some long term, include adding 2,000 more permanent seats to the main arena (total of 25,500 seats), expansion of the ACC Hall of Champions (more than tripling the current size) and finally city leaders would like to see a large 4 star hotel (400 to 500 rooms) built in the coliseum complex, possibly attached to the coliseum. Then there is still the question about renovating War Memorial auditorium at the coliseum or building a downtown concert hall/performance arts center.

Edited July 26, 2011 by cityboi

[cityboi]

Fox 8 on the Aquatic Center

http://www.myfox8.com/wghp-susan-braman-aquatic-center-20110726,0,1510814.story

[cityboi]

Greensboro Aquatic Center steals swim meet away from the Triangle.

The YMCA of the Triangle Area Swim Team has announced the 19th Annual TYR Capital Classic will move to the Greensboro Aquatic Center in December.

http://www.news-record.com/content/2011/07/27/article/aquatic_center_lands_triangle_meet

Edited July 27, 2011 by cityboi

[cityboi]

Once again Greensboro lives up to its name as "Tournament Town". At tonight's ribbon cutting ceremony for the Greensboro Aquatic Center, USA Synchro has announced that Greensboro will host the 2011 United States Synchronized Swimming Olympic Trials from Nov. 11-14, 2011. This will be the third national swimming event at the Aquatic center. Greensboro will also host the 2012 U.S. Masters Swimming Spring Nationals, YMCA Nationals and a host of regional championships (over 40 events so far!).

"The USA Synchro four-day event will feature America's elite athletes competing for a spot on the 2012 U.S. Synchronized Swimming Olympic Team that will head to London for the 2012 Summer Olympic games."

http://www.news-reco...tails_developin

Greensboro has always been a tournament town, but in the past Greensboro was only known for hosting the ACC Tournament and PGA golf (although Greensboro did host the 1974 Final Four basketball championship). Greensboro hosted the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and now these major national swimming championships. The city is starting to expand to other sports.. I would like to see the city seek other sports as well. The sports community here in Greensboro should try to land bowling. I would love to see Greensboro as one of the host cities on the Professional Bowlers Association tour. Those tournaments are covered an ESPN and would bring even more national attention to Greensboro. First we need a bowling stadium Maybe coliseum manager Matt Brown can build us one at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Greensboro really needs to build on its reputation as tournament town. The Gate City has found its niche in professional sports. We can't support a major league sports team but we can support many major sport tournaments that would bring just as much national attention to the city.

also here is a photo of the White Oak Amphitheater at the Greensboro Coliseum. The amphitheater includes fix seats and lawn seating. The seating capacity is almost 8,000

courtesy of Greensboro Daily Photo

Edited August 26, 2011 by cityboi

[cityboi]

sneak peak inside the Greensboro Aquatic Center (GAC) at the Greensboro Coliseum. At over 78,000 feet, The Greensboro Aquatics Center is now the state's large Aquatic Center, topping the Triangle Aquatics Center (TAC) near Raleigh. TAC was the state's largest with 72,000 square feet. TAC seats about 1,000 and GAC seats over 2,500. The size of GAC is one reason a Triangle base swim competition is moving from Raleigh to Greensboro. I'm just waiting for Charlotte to top Greensboro's facility. Charlotte's current facility was built in 1991 and is outdated. The Queen City is due for a new Aquatics Center and you can bet it would be larger than Greensboro's.

Edited August 26, 2011 by cityboi

[citykidd]

What is Greensboro afraid of? Success? Why does the city keep building venues far flung across the city and not downtown?

[cityboi]

What is Greensboro afraid of? Success? Why does the city keep building venues far flung across the city and not downtown?

The biggest mistake city leaders made was not building the coliseum downtown in the late 1950s. In fact the plan was to build the Greensboro Coliseum downtown which was very forward thinking for the times. However neighbors in the downtown area fought the idea of a downtown coliseum and they ended up building it two miles west of downtown on Lee Street. I do get why they built the aquatic center at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex but yes it would have been great to have one downtown. In the late 1990s it was on a referendum to build a downtown aquatic center but voters turned it down. The only reason it passed several years ago was because the aquatic center was lumped with a parks and recreation bond. City taxpayers usually supports park bonds. I'll admit it was a sly way to get voters to vote for the aquatic center

Edited September 28, 2011 by cityboi

[cityboi]

The Greensboro Aquatic Center at the Coliseum has landed another national championship.

The 2012 AT&T National Diving Championships will be coming to Greensboro. The competition is scheduled for Aug. 14-19 and will be televised nationally. The event will take place on the same week as the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship, which is Aug. 16-19 in Greensboro. That means two major sporting events in Greensboro will be televised nationally at the same time. The 2011 National Diving Championships were held in Los Angeles. the U.S. Aquatic Sports Convention will be held in Greensboro in September according to the 2012 schedule on the website.

http://www.news-reco...g_to_greensboro

http://www.usadiving...ts/calendar.htm

Schedule:

AUGUST

2-4 USA Diving Age Group National Championships [Greensboro, NC]

5-10 USA Diving Junior National Championships [Greensboro, NC]

14-19 AT&T National Diving Championships [Greensboro, NC]

September

9-16 U.S. Aquatic Sports Convention [Greensboro, NC]

Edited October 18, 2011 by cityboi

[cityboi]

Greensboro Aquatics Center lands ACC diving and swim championships for 2013, 2014 and 2016.

http://www.news-reco...e_championships

Edited November 8, 2011 by cityboi