WFCU Centre
| 200px | |
| Full name | Windsor Family Credit Union Centre |
|---|---|
| Location | 8787 McHugh St |
| Coordinates | Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Owner | City of Windsor |
| Operator | City of Windsor / Global Spectrum Facility Management |
| Capacity |
|
| Field size | 302,000 square feet |
| Scoreboard | 8 sided, 24 feet in diameter |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 22, 2007[1] |
| Built | 2007–2008 |
| Opened | December 11, 2008 |
| Construction cost | C$71 million[1] ($78.9 million in 2024 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | BBB Architects, Ltd. |
| Structural engineer | HGS Consulting Engineers Ltd.[3] |
| Services engineer | Vollmer & Associates[4] |
| General contractor | PCR Contractors |
| Tenants | |
| Windsor Spitfires (OHL) (2008-Present) Windsor Express (NBLC) (2012-Present) |
|
The WFCU Centre is a sports-entertainment centre in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It opened on December 11, 2008, and it is named after the Windsor Family Credit Union, a local financial institution. It is located in the east end of the city, northeast of the intersection of Tecumseh and Lauzon Roads.
The WFCU Centre was built, in part, to be the new home of the city's Ontario Hockey League team, the Windsor Spitfires, replacing the 84-year-old Windsor Arena.
Contents
Ownership and management
The WFCU Centre is owned by the City of Windsor. City council approved the project on October 4, 2006, and the groundbreaking ceremony took place on January 22, 2007. The WFCU Centre is managed by Ed Snider's Comcast Spectacor, a Philadelphia-based company, which also operates more than 120 other arenas, stadiums and convention centres including the Wells Fargo Centre in Philadelphia.
Seating and ticketing
Approximate capacities:
- 6,500 - Hockey
- 7,000 - Basketball
- 6,500 - End stage concert
- 3,000 – Theatre mode
- 2,100 - Family show mode
- 7,500 - Centre stage concert
In addition to the standard end stage configuration for large concerts, the arena can be set up to accommodate touring Broadway shows or smaller concerts in its theatre mode. The theatre mode features a small, intimate atmosphere.
The centre features 35 luxury suites and more than 690 club seats.
The WFCU Centre complies with the Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
The WFCU Centre uses an in-house ticketing system, provided by Paciolan.
History
The WFCU Centre was built at a cost of approximately $71 million by the Windsor, Ontario-based construction company, PCR Contractors. The land was purchased from London, Ontario developer Farhi Holdings Corporation. The construction of this sports-entertainment centre was decided upon as a part of the city government’s overall effort to add excitement to the economy. As part of that effort, Windsor city council committed to building the centre, and agreed to fund most of the cost.
During the initial stages of planning, several other committees and companies proposed building arenas and venues in the area, including a privately owned skating arena, as well as proposed a relocation of the Windsor Raceway Slots to Tecumseh, Ontario, owned by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
In August, 2013 Windsor City Council approved a $6.5 million addition to the WFCU Centre, adding a 25 metre pool in advance of the City hosting the 2016 2016 FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) which will be held inside the WFCU Centre.
Sports
The WFCU Centre is home to both the Ontario Hockey League OHL's Windsor Spitfires and the National Basketball League of Canada NBL's Windsor Express.
The Windsor Spitfires won both the 2009 and 2010 OHL Eastern League Championships on home ice, and the Windsor Express won the 2014 League Championships on home court.
The WFCU Centre has play host to a variety of large scale evens inHockey including the 2012 World U-17 Hockey Challenge and the OHL All Star Game and the NHL Top Prospects Game. The WFCU Centre is also a hotbed for figure skating action, including hosting both the Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships and the Skate Canada International in 2012, the latter being broadcast internationally. The WFCU Centre also played host to the Grey Power World Cup of Curling in 2010, and has also hosted international sporting events like Stars on Ice, TNA Wrestling and WWE Live!.
Touring History
Some of the WFCU Centre's higher profile events include:
- Carrie Underwood Blown Away Tour
- Marianas Trench
- Hedley
- Neil Young international tour launch
- Elton John Solo
- Russell Peters
- ZZ Top
- Great Big Sea
- Cirque Du Soleil Quidam, Dralion and Verakai
- Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance
- Jeff Dunham international tour launch
- Harlem Globetrotters
- 3 Days Grace
- Jerry Seinfeld
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 1688 to 1923: Geloso, Vincent, A Price Index for Canada, 1688 to 1850 (December 6, 2016). Afterwards, Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. and table 18-10-0004-13 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
