Harold Alfond Sports Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Orono, Maine, United States. The arena opened in 1977. It is home to the University of Maine Black Bears ice hockey teams. It is recognizable for its distinctive hyperbolic paraboloid architecture. The multi-angular roof design can also be found at Pavilion at Villanova University, the Brown University Smith Swim Center and the Flynn Recreation Complex at Boston College. It is named for Harold Alfond, a longtime Maine booster, whose name also adorns Alfond Sports Stadium, the school's main outdoor stadium.
"The Alfond" | |
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 | |
| Location | College Ave Orono, Maine 04473 |
|---|---|
| Owner | University of Maine |
| Operator | University of Maine |
| Capacity | 5,712 (basketball) 5,125 (hockey) |
| Surface | 200 x 85 ft (hockey) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1976 |
| Opened | February 5, 1977 |
| Expanded | 1991, 1998, 2011 |
| Construction cost | $1.6 million[1] ($8.04 million in 2023 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | Daniel Tulley Associates[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Maine Black Bears men's and women's ice hockey | |
It was expanded in 1992 from its original capacity of 3,800 in order to accommodate more spectators and bring the basketball team back from its temporary home at the Bangor Auditorium. More skyboxes have been added since then, so the arena's capacity has been reduced. As of the 2022-2023 season, the capacity was 5,125 for hockey.[4] The arena includes the Bear Necessities Fan Shop and the Maine Hockey Hall of Fame.
The Grateful Dead played in The Alfond on April 19, 1983. Scott Hamilton's Stars on Ice opened in Alfond Sports Arena in 1986. Hillary Clinton appeared at the arena in 1994. It takes two hours to make the transition from basketball to hockey, and about 2½ from hockey to basketball. New, energy-efficient lighting was installed in late 2006 because of previous power outages and too much electricity consumption. A new scoreboard was installed during the summer of 2008. A new basketball floor was purchased in late 2009 to replace the original floor first used in 1992. A $4.8 million renovation project began in May 2011. The renovation included a new ice system along with dehumidifier equipment, new dasher boards and glass, and new lower-level seating.[5]
The Dalhousie Memorial Arena (1982–2012) at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada was inspired by the Alfond Sports Arena, which university president Henry Hicks reportedly admired.[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Crowd Views Dedication". Bangor Daily News. November 18, 1977. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Dedicate New Arena". Lewiston Evening Journal. November 15, 1977. Retrieved January 21, 2012.
- ^ "2022-23 MIH Media Guide (PDF)" (PDF). University of Maine Athletics. Retrieved 2023-01-08.
- ^ Construction Progressing At Alfond Arena Archived 2011-08-18 at the Wayback Machine GoBlackBears.com, July 13, 2011
- ^ "Dalhousie Memorial Arena". Dalhousie University Archives. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010.