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  Cool Insuring Arena Location within New York State Show map of New York Cool Insuring Arena Location within the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Former names | Glens Falls Civic Center (1979–2017) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 Civic Center Plaza Glens Falls, NY 12801 |
| Coordinates | 43°18′29″N73°38′30″W / 43.308169°N 73.641782°W /43.308169; -73.641782 |
| Owner | City of Glens Falls |
| Operator | Adirondack Civic Center Coalition |
| Capacity | 4,794 permanent seats plus capacity for 1,000 seated or standing on floor and 1,000 along promenade for standing room only[1] |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 15, 1977[2] |
| Opened | May 18, 1979[2] |
| Construction cost | $3 million[2] ($13 million in 2024 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Crandell Associates[4] |
| General contractor | Lino Associates[2] |
| Tenants | |
| Adirondack Thunder (ECHL) (2015–present) Adirondack Flames (AHL) (2014–2015) Adirondack Phantoms (AHL) (2009–2014) Adirondack Icehawks/Frostbite (UHL) (1999–2006) Adirondack Red Wings (AHL) (1979–1999) NYSPHSAA Boys Basketball Championships (1981-present) NYSPHSAA Federation Tournament of Champions (1981-2010, 2017-2019) Adirondack Wildcats (USBL) (2002–2004) Empire State Cobras (RHI) (1996) Adirondack Jr. Thunder (EHLP) (2022–present) | |
TheCool Insuring Arena (originally calledGlens Falls Civic Center) is a 4,794-seat multi-purposearena located in downtownGlens Falls, New York, that is the home of theAdirondack Thunder of theECHL. Built in 1979, it was originally the home of theAdirondack Red Wings,AHL affiliate of theDetroit Red Wings.
In preparation for the incomingAdirondack Red Wings, the Glens Falls Civic Center was completed in 1979. The building was constructed on a vacant lot just south of the city's center as part of the city's "Urban Renewal Era".[5]
The Red Wings played in the Civic Center for 20 seasons in the AHL. During their time, they won 4 Calder Cup championships, and saw dozens of players move up to theNHL. In 1999, the parent club inDetroit pulled the team out of the arena, citing declining attendance as the reason for the sudden departure.[6]
The Adirondack IceHawks were the next tenants of the building, after moving operations fromWinston-Salem to Glens Falls.[7] In 2004, the team was bought byESPN'sSteve Levy andBarry Melrose and rebranded as the Frostbite, who played through the 2005–06 season.[8] The arena then sat without a hockey team for nearly 3 years.
For the2007–08 AHL season and2008–09 AHL season, the nearbyAlbany River Rats played four home games in Glens Falls in order to gauge the community's interest in whether anAmerican Hockey League franchise could relocate to Glens Falls. City government officials and arena management were looking into the possibility of acquiring a franchise to play in the Civic Center.
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On February 12, 2009, the Center was announced to be a potential temporary home to thePhiladelphia PhantomsAHL team, who would leavePhiladelphia following the 2009 season due to the demolition of theWachovia Spectrum.[9] That team, theAdirondack Phantoms, would play for five seasons at the Center before moving to thePPL Center in 2014, becoming theLehigh Valley Phantoms. However, AHL hockey stayed in Glens Falls for at least the 2014–15 season, as the formerAbbotsford Heat announced they would be moving to the Center, adopting the newAdirondack Flames moniker.[10]
However, the Flames' first season would also be their last in Glens Falls, as the team moved toStockton, California after the 2014–15 season to become theStockton Heat.[11] Glens Falls would not be without pro hockey, however, as theECHL'sStockton Thunder moved to Glens Falls for the 2015–16 season to become theAdirondack Thunder.[12]
On January 21, 2022, theEastern Hockey League (2013–) announced the Adirondack Jr. Thunder will play their inaugural season in the Eastern Hockey League Premier, the organization's development league. They announced their home games would be played at the Cool Insuring Arena, andAdirondack Red Wings all-time points and games-played leaderGlenn Merkosky will be the team's first head coach.[13]
TheGrateful Dead played the first concert at the Glens Falls Civic Center on May 8, 1980.[14]
On June 21, 1989,The Who kicked off their25th Anniversary Tour at the Civic Center. It was the first time in seven years they were on tour. It also marked their first performance without drummerKenney Jones, who replacedKeith Moon in 1979; he was replaced bySimon Phillips for that tour.
Iron Maiden played here for the first time in 1982.
19-year-oldMike Tyson defeatedJames Tillis, for his 20th straight professional career win, at the Civic Center on May 5, 1986. Tyson won via unanimous decision in the 10-round fight. Two months later, on July 26, 1986, Tyson fought and defeatedMarvis Frazier in 30 seconds via KO for his 25th straight win in his professional career.
On October 31, 1994, it became the site of the first of ten "Halloween costumes" byjam bandPhish. That evening, in the middle of a three set concert, Phish performedThe Beatles'White Album in its entirety. The show was recorded and later released as a live album, entitledLive Phish Volume 13.[citation needed]Phish returned to the Civic Center on October 23, 2013, playing "Back in the USSR" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from theWhite Album.
The Glens Falls Civic Center has been the host of theNew York State Public High School Athletic Association Basketball Championships through 2014.[15] The Federation tournament was previously held at the Glens Falls Civic Center up until 2011, when it was moved to the Times Union Center in Albany, New York.[16] The Federation tournament has now returned to Glens Falls, but the NYSPHSAA tournament has moved to Binghamton.[17]
Another notable event at the Civic Center came on December 8, 2010, when it hosted a basketball game betweenBYU andVermont billed as the "Hometown Classic". The game served as a homecoming for BYU starJimmer Fredette, who had ledGlens Falls High School to the New York state Class A championship game, held at this facility, in 2007.[18] A beyond-capacity crowd of 6,300, which also included former BYU great and currentBoston Celtics general managerDanny Ainge, saw Fredette's Cougars win 86–58.[18][19]
On April 14, 2008, the building became one of the management properties ofGlobal Spectrum for the city ofGlens Falls, New York.[20]
A public auction of the Glens Falls Civic Center had been scheduled for August 18, 2014;[21] however, no bidders showed to make an offer. A local coalition continues to attempt to raise money to purchase the arena.[22] The yearly operating losses near $1 million (US), and the city-owned arena does not currently have enough council votes inWarren County, New York to impose a 1% tax increase to subsidize the arena.[23]
The Adirondack Civic Center Coalition placed one of two bids in a private auction on September 12, 2014.[24] On October 21, 2014, the Glens Falls Common Council voted unanimously to sell the arena to the then-named "Coalition to Save Our Civic Center".[25] Jack Walter, a local design and planning consultant, was named building manager on March 20, 2015. Walter would lead a new management team to replace Global Spectrum.[26] That summer, Jeff Mead was announced as Walter's replacement on July 20, 2015.[27]
On July 11, 2017, the Cool Insuring Agency purchased the naming rights to the arena on a five-year deal.[28]
On March 19, 2019, it was announced that the Cool Insuring Agency extended their contract, keeping the building's naming rights through 2024.[29]
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Hampton Coliseum (as theVirginia Wings) | Home of the Adirondack Red Wings 1979–1999 | Succeeded by AT&T Center (as theSan Antonio Rampage |
| Preceded by | Home of the Adirondack IceHawks 1999–2004 | Succeeded by Glens Falls Civic Center (as theAdirondack Frostbite) |
| Preceded by Glens Falls Civic Center (as the Adirondack IceHawks) | Home of the Adirondack Frostbite 2004–2006 | Succeeded by Folded |
| Preceded by | Home of the Adirondack Phantoms 2009–2014 | Succeeded by PPL Center (as theLehigh Valley Phantoms) |
| Preceded by | Home of the Adirondack Flames 2014–2015 | Succeeded by Stockton Arena (as theStockton Heat) |
| Preceded by Stockton Arena (as theStockton Thunder) | Home of the Adirondack Thunder 2015–present | Succeeded by Current |
| Preceded by Created | Home of the Adirondack Jr Thunder 2022–present | Succeeded by Current |
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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