Verizon Center
Encyclopedia : V : VE : VER : Verizon Center
- For the arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, see Verizon Wireless Arena.
The Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications. The name of the arena was previously MCI Center, but when MCI was acquired by Verizon, the name was changed to "Verizon Center" effective March 5, 2006 [link]. The arena has been nicknamed the "Phone Booth" because of its association with telecommunications companies.
History
The arena opened on December 2, 1997 in downtown Washington's Chinatown. The building replaced the US Air Arena, which was located on the Capital Beltway in Landover, Maryland. Some complained that the building's construction, by closing off a block of G St, corrupted the historic L'Enfant layout of the Washington city streets. Others were concerned it would lead to the displacement of Chinese businesses in Chinatown. While largely considered a commercial success, the Verizon Center was the catalyst that led to gentrification of Washington's Chinatown, with rent increases after construction of the Arena forcing many small Chinese businesses to close. On the other hand, the Arena is not only a popular venue for sports and concerts, but helped to turned "Gallery Place/Chinatown" neighborhood into one of the prime sites for commercial development in Washington. Virtually all Chinese residents in the D.C. area already live in the suburbs, and displacement that occurred over the years has been mostly commercial rather than residential.Tenants
The Verizon Center is the home arena of the NBA's Washington Wizards, the NHL's Washington Capitals, the WNBA's Washington Mystics, and the NCAA's Georgetown University Hoyas mens basketball. It seats 20,173 for basketball, and 18,277 for hockey.Notable events
As well as the home games of the Center's four sports tenants, the arena also hosts numerous special events, from concerts to Champions on Ice to the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus.
- World Championship Wrestling (WCW) Starrcade, 1997-2000
- NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, first and second rounds, 1998, 2002 & 2008
- World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Backlash, 2000
- NBA All-Star Game, 2001
- World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) SummerSlam, 2005
- Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) men's basketball tournament, 2005
- World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) 'Supershow' on February 27, 2006
- World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Smackdown and ECW on August 15th, 2006
- BB&T Classic Basketball Tournament, annual event involving the University of Maryland and The George Washington University, among others. Held as a two-game showcase with the aforementioned schools as hosts.
- NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Washington, DC Regional, 2006
- NCAA's Frozen Four hockey championship, 2009
Ownership
The arena is owned by Washington Sports & Entertainment (which owns the Wizards and formerly owned the Capitals), but on land leased from the city of Washington. At the end of the 30 year lease, the land is set to revert back to the ownership of the city, with the mayor of Washington to make mandatory biennial reviews of the city's continuing need for the arena.Trivia
The Verizon Center sits atop the Gallery Place-Chinatown station on the Red, Yellow, and Green lines of the Washington Metro, making it the second major sports venue to sit atop a train station, after Madison Square Garden was built above New York Penn Station.External link
- * Satellite image from [WikiMapia], [Google Maps] or [Windows Live Local]
- * Street map from [MapQuest] or [Google Maps]
- * Topographic map from [TopoZone]
- * Aerial image from [TerraServer-USA]
| Current arenas in the National Hockey League | ||
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference | |
|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Centre | BankAtlantic Center | Bell Centre | Continental Airlines Arena | HSBC Arena | Madison Square Garden | Mellon Arena | Nassau Coliseum | Philips Arena | RBC Center | St. Pete Times Forum | Scotiabank Place | TD Banknorth Garden | Verizon Center | Wachovia Center | American Airlines Center | Arrowhead Pond | Gaylord Entertainment Center | GM Place | Glendale Arena | HP Pavilion | Joe Louis Arena | Nationwide Arena | Pengrowth Saddledome | Pepsi Center | Rexall Place | Savvis Center | Staples Center | United Center | Xcel Energy Center | |
| Current arenas in the National Basketball Association | ||
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference | |
|---|---|---|
| Air Canada Centre | AmericanAirlines Arena | Bradley Center | Charlotte Bobcats Arena | Conseco Fieldhouse | Continental Airlines Arena | Madison Square Garden | Palace of Auburn Hills | Philips Arena | Quicken Loans Arena | TD Banknorth Garden | TD Waterhouse Centre | United Center | Verizon Center | Wachovia Center | American Airlines Center | ARCO Arena | AT&T Center | Delta Center | FedExForum | Ford Center | KeyArena | New Orleans Arena | Oakland Arena | Pepsi Center | Rose Garden | Staples Center | Target Center | Toyota Center | US Airways Center | |
| Current arenas in the Women's National Basketball Association | ||
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference | |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Bobcats Arena | Conseco Fieldhouse | Madison Square Garden | Mohegan Sun Arena | Palace of Auburn Hills | UIC Pavilion | Verizon Center | ARCO Arena | AT&T Center | KeyArena | Staples Center | Target Center | Toyota Center | US Airways Center | |
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