Peoria Civic Center

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"Carver Arena" redirects here. For the arena at the University of Iowa, see Carver–Hawkeye Arena.
Peoria Civic Center
Peoria Civic Center
Peoria Civic Center
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
LocationUnited States
Coordinates40°41′31″N 89°35′39″W / 40.6920°N 89.5943°W / 40.6920; -89.5943Coordinates: 40°41′31″N 89°35′39″W / 40.6920°N 89.5943°W / 40.6920; -89.5943
OperatorASM GLobal[citation needed]
BuiltApril 30, 1979 (1979-04-30)[citation needed] – 1982
InauguratedJune 6, 1982 (1982-06-06)[citation needed]
Renovated1992[citation needed]
Expanded2007
Construction cost
$64.2 million
($229 million in 2020 dollars[1])
$55 million (2007 renovations)
($72.9 million in 2020 dollars[1])
Banquet/ballroom6,500 (Peoria Civic Center Ballroom)
300 (Lexus Club)
Theatre seating
2,244
Enclosed space
 • Exhibit hall floor108,668 square feet (10,095.6 m2)
 • Breakout/meeting17,355 square feet (1,612.3 m2)
 • Ballroom28,667 square feet (2,663.3 m2)
Website
www.peoriaciviccenter.com

Peoria Civic Center is a convention center in downtown Peoria, Illinois. Designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Philip Johnson, it has an arena, theater, exhibit hall and meeting rooms. It opened in 1982 and completed an expansion to its lobby and meeting facilities in 2007. On the grounds of the Peoria Civic Center sits the massive "Sonar Tide," the last and largest sculpture of the pioneer of abstract minimalism Ronald Bladen.

History[]

The site of the Civic Center includes the spot at Liberty Street and Jefferson Street where Moses and Lucy Pettengill lived from 1836 to 1862; that house was part of the Underground Railroad and Moses was also an Underground Railroad "conductor". In 1862, the Pettingills moved out of downtown and to Moss Avenue, where the present Pettengill–Morron House was built in 1868. The downtown home was demolished in 1910 to make way for the Jefferson Hotel.[2] The hotel, in turn, was imploded in 1978 to make way for the Civic Center.[3]

The first event at the Civic Center was a home and garden show in the Exhibit Hall in February 1982.[3]

Facilities[]

Carver Arena[]

Carver Arena
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Capacity9,919 (Ice hockey and indoor football)
11,433 (Basketball)
12,036 (Concerts)
Tenants
Bradley Braves (NCAA) (1982–present)
Peoria Prancers/Rivermen (IHL) (1982–1996)
Peoria Rivermen (ECHL) (1996–2005)
Peoria Pirates (IFL/AF2) (1999–2004, 2008–2009)
Peoria Rough Riders (UIF) (2005–2006)
Peoria Rivermen (AHL) (2005–2013)
Peoria Rivermen (SPHL) (2013–present)

As of 2013, seating capacity was 9,919 for hockey and indoor football, 11,433 for basketball and up to 12,036 for concerts.[4]

Carver Arena has been hosts to acts such as Eagles, Elton John, Bob Seger, Kiss, Blake Shelton, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Cher, James Taylor, Avenged Sevenfold, Shinedown, Godsmack, Five Finger Death Punch, The Harlem Globetrotters, World Wrestling Entertainment, Disney, Monster Jam, Disney on Ice, and basketball exhibition games for the Chicago Bulls.

Bob Seger set the record for the highest grossing concert in venue history on January 22, 2019. The previous record was held by an Elton John concert in 2011.[5]

Blake Shelton is top selling country performer in venue history with his sold out February 28, 2019 performance.[6]

Carver Arena hosted the Illinois High School Association boys' basketball state finals for two weeks every March from 1996 until 2019. The interactive March Madness Experience took place in the adjacent exhibition hall during the tournaments.[7]

Theater[]

Steve Martin and Martin Short's Now You See Them, Soon You Won't event on April 20, 2019 set the record for top comedy show in Peoria Civic Center Theater's History.[8]

Tenants[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b 1634 to 1699: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy ofthe United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700-1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How much is that in real money?: a historical price index for use as a deflator of money values in the economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  2. ^ Thompson, Katie (January–February 2008). "The Long Road to Freedom". Art & Society. Central Illinois Business Publishers, Inc. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Phelps, Tori (October 2002). "Peoria's Civic Center 20 Years". Arts Alive!. Central Illinois Business Publishers, Inc. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  4. ^ "Arena". Peoria Civic Center. Archived from the original on 2014-01-20. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  5. ^ Rodriguez, Stephanie (22 January 2019). "Bob Seger concert breaks Civic Center record". WEEK-TV. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Blake Shelton Breaks Country Record".
  7. ^ "IHSA March Madness". Peoria Civic Center. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  8. ^ "Steve Martin and Martin Short - Peoria Civic Center".

External links[]

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