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The Expo | |
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 AnNBA G League game at The Expo in 2011 | |
  Portland Exposition Building Location within Maine Show map of Maine Portland Exposition Building Location within the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Portland,Maine |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°39′23″N70°16′38″W / 43.65640°N 70.27730°W /43.65640; -70.27730 |
| Owner | City of Portland |
| Operator | Portland Parks & Recreation |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | June 7, 1915 (1915-06-07) |
| Construction cost | $80,944 |
| Architect | Frederick A. Tompson |
| Tenants | |
| Portland Bulldogs (PPS) Maine Roller Derby (WFTDA; 2008–present) Maine Celtics (NBAGL; 2009–present) | |
| Website | |
| www | |
ThePortland Exposition Building, also known asThe Expo, is a sports andconvention center building complex inPortland,Maine.[1] Much expanded since the original building was constructed in 1914, the complex now includes five inter-connected buildings with 24,000 square feet of exhibition space and ten meeting rooms. It is adjacent to theHadlock Field and thePortland Ice Arena.
Phish,Ani Difranco,Natalie Merchant,The Monkees, andRusted Root have played at the venue.[2] It has also hosted trade shows and celebrations.[2] It has been used for theMaine Red Claws basketball team,Portland High School Bulldogs basketball games, and indoor track events. In 2007, the Expo became the home of Maine Roller Derby. Locker rooms forFitzpatrick Stadium and the visiting clubhouse for Hadlock Field.
The Portland Exposition Building was designed byFrederick A. Tompson and was built in 1914 at a cost of $80,944. It is the second-oldest arena in continuous operation in the United States (behindMatthews Arena inBoston).[citation needed]
The building was considered a sophisticated facility sure to "put Portland on the map". Its grand opening—a major agricultural show on June 7, 1915, for which the local daily newspaper dedicated the entire front page to covering the event.[citation needed]
In addition to the first-floor arena, the basement level featured the Cafe Dumont. "The Cafe D" was a full-service nightspot which offered "Top international entertainment in a classy nightclub atmosphere."[citation needed]
In September 2007,Maine Roller Derby began hosting flat-track roller derby bouts, with opponents traveling from Montreal, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.[3] The season runs from late April through November, with most bouts occurring April–June.
In 2008, a group of local businesspeople signed a deal to bring anNBA Development League team to the Expo, as well as to renovate the arena's facilities.[4][5] It was confirmed, and the Expo Building is home to theMaine Red Claws, beginning play for the 2009–10 season.[6]
Over the years, many notable figures have appeared at the Expo, includingBabe Ruth,Rudolph Valentino,Rocky Marciano, presidentsJohn F. Kennedy[7][8] andBarack Obama,[9][10] andPaavo Nurmi. It has hosted significant performances, including the first East Coast concert of theBeach Boys (1963),James Brown,Dolly Parton,Janis Joplin,Queen (1974), the 60th Anniversary Ball of thePortland Symphony Orchestra, world championship kickboxing, and gala banquets for the Senior's Pro Golf Tournaments featuringArnold Palmer andGary Player.
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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