Toledo Sports Arena

Address	1 Main Street
Location	Toledo, Ohio
Coordinates	41°39′3″N 83°31′27″W / 41.65083°N 83.52417°W / 41.65083; -83.52417
Owner	City of Toledo
Operator	ASM Global
Capacity	Ice hockey: 5,230 Concerts:6,500 Stage Shows and small Concerts:4,400 Boxing and Wrestling: 8,250
Construction
Opened	November 13, 1947
Closed	April 28, 2007
Demolished	August 7, 2007
Tenants
Toledo Mercurys (IHL) (1947–1962) Toledo Blades/Hornets (IHL) (1963–1974) Toledo Goaldiggers (IHL) (1974–1986) Toledo Storm (ECHL) (1991–2007)

Toledo Sports Arena was a 5,230-seat multi-purpose arena at 1 Main Street, Toledo, Ohio. It was built in 1947 and demolished in 2007.

As a concert venue, it seated 6,500, for theater concerts and stage shows, 4,400 and for boxing and wrestling, 8,250; also, the arena was 33⅔ feet tall. Attached to the arena was an exhibit hall that accommodated 30,000 square feet (3,000 m²) of space; when combined with the 20,000 square feet (2,000 m²) of arena floor space, a total of 50,000 square feet (5,000 m²) of exhibit and trade show space. The exhibit hall accommodated up to 2,500, for concerts and meetings and 1,800, for banquets. In addition, there were three meeting rooms, totaling 5,000 square feet (500 m²) of space.

The Sports Arena was home to the following ice hockey teams:

• Toledo Mercurys (IHL) (1947–1962)
• Toledo Blades/Hornets (IHL) (1963–1974)
• Toledo Goaldiggers (IHL) (1974–1986)
• Toledo Storm (ECHL) (1991–2007)

The Jackson 5 performed at the sports arena on July 21, 1971 and March 10, 1974.

The Sports Arena was the inspiration for the Yes song, "Our Song," which was written after their July 30, 1977 performance in which the arena's interior temperature reached 126 °F (52 °C).^[1]

The arena played host to the politically motivated Vote for Change Tour on October 2, 2004, featuring performances by Gob Roberts, Death Cab for Cutie and Pearl Jam, with special guests Peter Frampton, Pegi Young and Neil Young.^[2]

Local promoter Brad McDonald held the Arena's final event on April 28, 2007, an "Extreme Toughman" event, a mixed martial art competition much like the UFC. Demolition of the Sports Arena took place in August of that year.^[3] The new arena, Huntington Center, was completed in October 2009, on the opposite side of the Maumee River, placing it in the center of downtown Toledo.

References