| CHI Health Center Omaha | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | 455 N 10th St Omaha, Nebraska, 68102-1151 |
| Broke ground | 2001 |
| Opened | September 2003 |
| Expanded | 2006 |
| Owner | City of Omaha |
| Operator | Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority (MECA) |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction cost | $ 291 million |
| Tenants | |
| Capacity | 18,300 (concerts) 17,560 (basketball) 16,680 (hockey) |
CHI Health Center Omaha, formerly known as Qwest Center Omaha and CenturyLink Center Omaha, is an arena and convention center facility in the NoDo neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska. The 1.1 million ft² facility has an 18,300-seat arena, a 194,000-ft² exhibition hall and 62,000 ft² of meeting space. The arena hosts various basketball games, hockey games, professional wrestling events and concerts.
The Omaha Mavericks (historically known as the Nebraska–Omaha Mavericks) played their home games here from the arena's opening in 2003 through the 2014–15 season. They have since moved to the on-campus Baxter Arena .
History[]
In 2000, Omaha voters approved a $216 million bond issue to build a new convention center and arena; the remainder of the $291 million project was provided by private organizations and individuals. The facility design was led by DLR Group, a national architecture and engineering firm. Naming rights to the arena were purchased by Qwest.
Qwest Center Omaha opened in September 2003 with an initial seating capacity of 17,000 for concerts, 15,500 for basketball, and 14,700 for hockey. In 2006, a $5.7-million expansion of the arena increased capacity by approximately 1,500 seats.
On July 15, 2011, the arena name changed to CenturyLink Center Omaha after Qwest was bought by CenturyLink.[1][2] The original sponsorship deal expired in 2018, and Omaha-based hospital operator CHI Health signed a deal to take over as name sponsor effective on September 1 of that year.[3][4]
The CHI Health Center displaced the 1954 Omaha Civic Auditorium as the premier indoor arena in the city. The venerable Ak-Sar-Ben Coliseum was closed in 2002 and was demolished in 2005.
References[]
- ↑ Sabin, Jeff. "Name Change Coming For Qwest Center Omaha", WOWT News, March 24, 2011. Retrieved on March 13, 2017.
- ↑ Moring, Roseann. "MECA prepares for new CenturyLink Center naming rights contract", July 29, 2015.
- ↑ Nohr, Emily. "So long, CenturyLink Center. CHI Health buys Omaha arena naming rights in $23.6 million deal", Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved on August 1, 2018. (en)
- ↑ (June 21, 2018). Men's Basketball To Play at CHI Health Center Omaha (in en). Press release. Retrieved on August 1, 2018.