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TD Waterhouse Centre
Home of the Orlando Magic
The TD Waterhouse Centre, formerly known as Orlando Arena, is located in Orlando, Florida. Home to the NBA's Orlando Magic, this venue was constructed in 1989 at a cost of $98 million. The entire cost of the construction was obtained through public financing. In addition to hosting an official NBA franchise team, the TD Waterhouse Centre is also home to the AFL's Orlando Predators and was the former home to the IHL's Orlando Solar Bears.
In 1991, the TD Waterhouse Centre was named as "Arena of the Year" as determined by Performance magazine. In addition, it was also nominated for an award in the Pollstar Concert Music Awards. Among the many memorable moments, the TD Waterhouse Centre was host to the 42nd NBA All-Star Game in 1992. That same year, the facility welcomed the United States Figure Skating National Championships. In 1995, games one and two of the NBA Finals were held here.
In 2000, the naming rights were sold to TD Waterhouse for $7.8 million payable over a period of five years. The Orlando Arena then became the TD Waterhouse Centre. In addition to the corporate offices of TD Waterhouse being located in Canada, the untraditional spelling of Centre reflects upon it's location in the Orlando Centroplex and the utilization of that same spelling with Orlando Expo Centre and Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre.
In August 2004, the Orlando Seals, one of hockey's minor league teams, were removed from play at the TD Waterhouse Centre. As a result, they had no choice but to sit out of the Southern Professional Hockey League's first season for 2004-05. Ultimately, the Seals moved to an arena in Kissimmee and resumed play during the 2005-06 season.
In 2002, talks between Orlando Magic and the City of Orlando, current owners of the TD Waterhouse Centre, have centered around a complete restructure or demolition of the facility. The result would be construction on a new venue but, as of 2005, talks have ceased. In the past years, officials have reported financial losses and also voiced concerns over the need for a larger arena in order to compete with newer facilities. Rumors have flown regarding the possible move of Orlando Magic to another city, but the team has denied these claims.
Current seating capacity is near 16,000 spectators for basketball, arena football and ice hockey events. In addition, the TD Waterhouse Centre can accommodate 15,788 circus fans, 16,882 ice skating spectators and between 17,700 and 18,000 music fans during concerts.
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