American Airlines Center
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Note: For the arena in Miami, Florida, see American Airlines Arena.
| American Airlines Center | |
Missing image American_Airlines_Center.jpg American Airlines Center | |
| Facility statistics | |
| Location | 2500 Victory Avenue Dallas, Texas 75201 |
| Broke ground | September 1999 |
| Opened | July 17, 2001 |
| Owner | The City of Dallas |
| Construction cost | $420 million USD |
| Architects | David M. Schwarz/Architectural Services, Inc. HKS, Inc. Johnson/McKibben Architects, Inc. |
| Tenants | |
| Dallas Mavericks | 2001-present |
| Dallas Stars | 2001-present |
| Dallas Desperados | 2002-present |
| Seating Capacity | |
| 2001 Basketball | 19,200 |
| 2001 Hockey | 18,000 |
The American Airlines Center is an arena located in Dallas, Texas that is used for basketball games, hockey games and concerts.
The American Airlines Center is home to the following sports teams:
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History
By 1998, the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars were indicating their desire for a new facility to replace the quickly-aging Reunion Arena. Dallas taxpayers approved a new hotel tax and rental car tax to pay for a new facility to cover a portion of the funding, with the two teams, the Mavericks and the Stars picking up the remaining costs, including cost overruns. The new arena was to be built just north of Woodall Rodgers Freeway near Interstate 35 on the site of an old power plant.
In March of 1999, American Airlines announced that it would be acquiring the naming rights for the new facility.
On July 27, 2001, the facility opened with the largest ribbon-cutting ceremony ever, according to the Guinness Book of Records. The first event occurred the next day with an Eagles concert. The first sporting event took place on August 19 with the Dallas Sidekicks of the Continental Indoor Soccer League.
Architecture
The American Airlines Center is meant to be the heart of a new urban, commercial area designed to reinvigorate the city of Dallas called "Victory". The facility itself features a conservative, traditional design with sweeping brick façades and smooth arches, and has been graced with a number of awards. The interior includes retractable seating, public art and a state-of-the art technological arena.
Other notes
The American Airlines Center is not to be confused with the American Airlines Arena, which is located in Miami, Florida.