iWireless Center
 | |
| Former names | The MARK of the Quad Cities (1993–2007) |
|---|---|
| Location |
1201 River Drive Moline, Illinois 61265 |
| Coordinates | 41°30′28″N 90°31′14″W / 41.507837°N 90.520437°WCoordinates: 41°30′28″N 90°31′14″W / 41.507837°N 90.520437°W |
| Owner | Quad City Civic Center Authority |
| Operator | Quad City Civic Center Authority |
| Capacity |
12,000 (concerts) 3,000 (theater concerts) 6,000 (amphitheater concerts) 9,200 (hockey) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 17, 1991[1] |
| Opened | May 28, 1993[2] |
| Construction cost |
$33.4 million[2] ($54.8 million in 2016 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Ellerbe Becket[4] |
| Project manager | National Sports Services[5] |
| Services engineer | KJWW Engineering Consultants[6] |
| General contractor | Huber Hunt & Nichols Inc.[7] |
| Tenants | |
|
Quad Cities Silverbacks (IFL) (2006–2007) | |
The iWireless Center (formerly known as The MARK of the Quad Cities) is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Moline, Illinois. The arena has garnered numerous architectural industry awards since its construction. The facility opened in May 1993, under the name The MARK of the Quad Cities with the singer Neil Diamond as the opening act.
It is home to the Quad City Mallards of the ECHL.
Sporting events
The arena has hosted NCAA Division 1 college basketball games (including the Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament from 1996–99) in addition to several NHL and NBA exhibition contests. The now-defunct Quad City Thunder basketball team played all their home games at the iWireless Center from 1993 until the Continental Basketball Association folded eight years later. Hockey has also been played at the arena since 1995. The first 12 years by the Quad City Mallards of the United Hockey League then two years as the Quad City Flames of the American Hockey League before moving to Abbotsford, British Columbia. After the Flames left, the Quad City Mallards were reincarnated in June 2009, and are still playing at the arena. In 2009, Western Illinois University's club hockey team, the Fighting Leathernecks, became the most recent inhabitants of the arena. They are still playing there even though they are only allowed 4 games per season at the venue. From 2000 to 2009, the arena played host to arena football as the home of the af2's Quad City Steamwheelers, who won the first two Arena Cup championships in league history (the arena hosted both games at the time).
Configuration
The arena seats up to 12,000 for end-stage concerts along with center-stage concerts. It takes only six hours to convert the center into a theater (called The Theater at the iWireless Center). The Seating capacity is 3,000 for theater shows, including Broadway shows, concerts and family shows; and 6,000 for amphitheater concerts.
The center has also hosted professional wrestling events, including the 1997 Great American Bash and 2015 King of the Ring pay-per-views, and numerous broadcasts of World Wrestling Entertainment programming, including Monday Night RAW, ECW and SmackDown.
The arena contains 31,000 square feet (2,900 m2) of arena floor space, allowing the arena to be used for trade shows and conventions; adjacent is 20,000 square feet (2,000 m2) of meeting room space and an 11,000-square-foot (1,000 m2) lobby. The attendance record was set in 1996, when more than 12,000 people viewed Neil Diamond's concert.
Naming rights
In August 2005, iWireless (formerly Iowa Wireless, a T-Mobile affiliate) announced a 10-year agreement with The MARK (former name) and the Illinois Quad City Civic Center Authority to secure naming rights to the arena. The name change to the "iWireless Center" occurred July 19, 2007.
References
- ↑ Deckhard, Linda (October 28, 1991). "Construction under way for Ill.'s Quad City Center". Amusement Business. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
- 1 2 Rexroat, Dee Ann (May 28, 1993). "New Moline Arena Mark Heats Up Concert Scene". The Gazette (Cedar Rapids). Retrieved September 23, 2011.
- ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ↑ "The MARK of the Quad Cities", Ellerbe Becket Official Website
- ↑ "NSSSports.com - Facilities". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- ↑ "The Mark of the Quad Cities - Moline, IL". KJWW Engineering Consultants. Archived from the original on April 26, 2003. Retrieved February 13, 2013.
- ↑ "IMPACT - Illowa Construction Labor and Management Council". Retrieved 25 October 2014.