The Crown Complex[2] (originally the Cumberland County Crown Coliseum) is a multi-purpose venue in Fayetteville, North Carolina that includes the Crown Coliseum, an indoor stadium. The stadium broke ground in 1995[3] and opened in 1997,[4] and is currently home to the Fayetteville Marksmen ice hockey team. The Coliseum replaced the Crown Arena in the same complex as the main venue for sports events.
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 Interior of the Crown Coliseum arena during the departure ceremony for the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team (c. 2009) | |
  Crown Coliseum Location within North Carolina  Crown Coliseum Location within the United States | |
| Former names | Cumberland County Crown Coliseum (1997–2014) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1960 Coliseum Drive Fayetteville, North Carolina (Coliseum and Expo Center) 28306-3059 2484+M4 Fayetteville, North Carolina 28306 (arena and theater) |
| Location | Crown Complex |
| Owner | Cumberland County Civic Center Commission |
| Operator | Comcast Spectacor |
| Capacity | 10,000 (coliseum) 4,500 (arena) 2,400 (theater) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 12, 1995 |
| Opened | October 23, 1997 |
| Construction cost | $55 million ($110 million in 2023 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Odell Associates |
| Structural engineer | Fleming and Associates, PA |
| General contractor | Turner Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Fayetteville Force (CHL) (1997–2001) Fayetteville Patriots (NBDL) (2001–2006) Fayetteville Marksmen (SPHL) (2002–present) Cape Fear Wildcats (af2) (2002–2004) Fayetteville Guard (NIFL/AIFA) (2005–2010) Fayetteville Force (SIFL) (2011) Cape Fear Heroes (AIF/XLIF/SIF/AAL) (2012–2015, 2017–2019) Fayetteville Fury (NISL) (2021–present) Fayetteville Mustangs (NAL) (2023) Fayetteville Stingers (TBL) (2023-present) | |
| Website | |
| Venue Website | |
The complex also contains a 2,400-seat auditorium named the Crown Theater and a 4,500-seat venue named Crown Arena,[5] both of which were built in the 1960s.[6] On January 22, 2020, Cumberland County's commissioner announced that the Crown Arena and Crown Theater would close in October 2022 due to the venues' non-compliance with the ADA, but would not affect the Coliseum.[7] The closing was pushed back to November 2025.[6]
During the early stages of its construction, Crown Coliseum was mentioned[according to whom?][where?] as a possible temporary home for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, but this was blocked by minor league hockey executive Bill Coffey who had signed an exclusive lease agreement with the arena for the Fayetteville Force of the Central Hockey League.[8]
It was reported[according to whom?][where?] in mid-January that TNA Wrestling would be taping its weekly TNA iMPACT! broadcast in the arena on February 24, 2011 — which would be only the second time in its history[citation needed] that the show would be broadcast outside Universal Studio's iMPACT! zone in Orlando, Florida. WWE taped its annual Tribute to the Troops show at the venue on December 11, 2011.
Fayetteville native rapper J. Cole's Forest Hills Drive: Live and his concert film, Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming was recorded at the arena on August 30, 2015, during his Forest Hills Drive Tour.[9] Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming aired on HBO, January 9, 2016.[10]
References
edit- ^ 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.
- ^ Campbell, Sarah (March 27, 2014). "Crown Complex shows off its changes". The Fayetteville Observer. Fayetteville Publishing Company. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
- ^ Moss, Gary (March 23, 1995). "Coliseum Still Lacks 'Crowning' Touch". Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- ^ "Lights Come On at New Crown Coliseum". WRAL. October 23, 1997. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- ^ "About the Crown Complex". Crown Complex. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
- ^ a b "Rift between Fayetteville and Cumberland County could close Crown Complex, officials say". JDNews.com. May 23, 2020. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ "Plans to close Fayetteville's Crown Arena and Crown Theater in 2022". WRAL.com. January 22, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ Scott, Jon C. (2006). Hockey Night in Dixie: Minor Pro Hockey in the American South. Heritage House Publishing Company Ltd. p. 103. ISBN 1-894974-21-2.
- ^ Boehrer, Kat (January 27, 2016). "Here's J. Cole's 'Forest Hills Drive Live' Album". Complex. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- ^ Montes, Patrick (January 10, 2016). "J. Cole's 90-Minute HBO Documentary 'Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming' Is Here". hypebeast. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
External links
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Media related to Cumberland County Crown Coliseum at Wikimedia Commons- Crown Coliseum
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