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|image=CivicCenter.jpg
 
|image=CivicCenter.jpg
 
|caption=
 
|caption=
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|name=[[File:PensacolaCivicCenterLogo.png|center|Pensacola Civic Center]]
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|name=Pensacola Civic Center
 
|location=201 East [[Gregory Street]]<br/>Pensacola, FL 32502
 
|location=201 East [[Gregory Street]]<br/>Pensacola, FL 32502
 
|architect=
 
|architect=
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|owner=[[Escambia County]]
 
|owner=[[Escambia County]]
 
|construction_start_date=
 
|construction_start_date=
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|completion_date=[[1985]]
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|completion_date=1985
 
|renovations=
 
|renovations=
 
|date_demolished=
 
|date_demolished=
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|cost=$21.5 million
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|cost=
 
|structural_system=
 
|structural_system=
 
|style=
 
|style=
 
|size=
 
|size=
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|mapcode=<googlemap lat="30.416259" lon="-87.209687" zoom="15" width="288" height="180">
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|mapcode=<googlemap lat="30.416259" lon="-87.209687" zoom="16" width="288" height="288">
 
30.416296, -87.208893, Pensacola Civic Center
 
30.416296, -87.208893, Pensacola Civic Center
 
</googlemap>
 
</googlemap>
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==History==
 
==History==
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===Background===
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The Civic Center was built in [[1985]] with the help of $12.5 million in state funding procured by State Senator [[W. D. Childers]]. The first event to be held at the Civic Center was a concert by the rock band [[Wikipedia:Kiss (band)|KISS]] on [[January 21]].<ref>Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs. ''Kiss Alive Forever''. Billboard Books, 2002.</ref> In Childers' honor, the stretches of [[Chase Street|Chase]] and [[Gregory Street]]s that surround the complex were renamed [[W. D. Childers Plaza]] the same year.<ref>"Signs posted to distinguish Childers Plaza near downtown." ''Pensacola News Journal'', September 30, 2006.</ref>
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By the mid-1970s, Pensacola's lack of venues to host large conferences and conventions was glaring. [[Mobile]], [[Gulf Shores]] and most recently [[Fort Walton Beach]] each had their own convention centers, whereas Pensacola was unable to host a crowd larger than 300.
 
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While many residents and leaders agreed that the area needed a comparable facility of its own, after the tribulations over the [[governmental complex center]], few were willing to propose public funding of a costly new structure. Instead, the renovation of an existing building, like the [[Municipal Auditorium]] or the [[commodity warehouse]], seemed a more affordable solution.<ref>"Will Pensacola Ignore Convention Benefits?" ''Pensacola News'', June 15, 1975.</ref>
 
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In [[1977]] the State of Florida gave local governments the option of levying a sales tax on temporary lodging. On [[November 8]] of that year, [[Escambia County]] voters approved a two percent tax on tourist accommodations, estimated to yield between $225,000-$300,000 per year, to fund the construction of a convention center and arena in the county. At one point proponents advocated construction of two separate facilities: one on [[UWF]]-owned land on [[Santa Rosa Island]], the other on the city-owned, 14-acre [[Baylen Street Slip]].<ref>"Two Convention Centers?" ''Pensacola News'', July 31, 1977.</ref>
 
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The biggest impetus for a new arena came in [[1982]] when [[W. D. Childers]], then president of the Florida Senate, was able to appropriate $12.5 million in state money for a civic center (along with $1.25 million for what would later become the [[T. T. Wentworth Museum]]).<ref>"Sen. Childers Defends Appeasement Strategy." ''Daytona Beach Morning Journal'', April 18, 1982.</ref> Childers had fielded requests from city leaders the previous year for a $10 million loan for the arena, but said of such a loan, "That's what you call pork barreling, parochialism, turkey."<ref>"Childers says tax hike unlikely despite federal cuts." ''Lakeland Ledger'', March 25, 1981.</ref> The eventual funding — a "no strings attached" grant instead of a loan — survived veto threats by Governor [[Wikipedia: Bob Graham| Bob Graham]], who in [[1980]] had vetoed an $8 million appropriation by Childers to build a football stadium at the [[University of West Florida]], which lacked a football team.<ref>"Graham's veto message: budget by need, not whim." ''Lakeland Ledger'', July 13, 1980.</ref>
 
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===Construction===
 
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{{sectstub}}
 
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===Operations===
 
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The first event to be held at the Civic Center was a concert by the rock band [[Wikipedia:Kiss (band)|KISS]] on [[January 21]].<ref>Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs. ''Kiss Alive Forever''. Billboard Books, 2002.</ref> In Childers' honor, the stretches of [[Chase Street|Chase]] and [[Gregory Street]]s that surround the complex were renamed [[W. D. Childers Plaza]] the same year.<ref>"Signs posted to distinguish Childers Plaza near downtown." ''Pensacola News Journal'', September 30, 2006.</ref>
 
  
 
In August 2001, in a year with only five booked concerts, none of which sold out,<ref>"Civic Center enjoying the sweet sound of music." ''Pensacola News Journal'', May 9, 2003.</ref> then-[[Escambia County Commission|County Commissioner]] Childers decried the Civic Center as an "albatross" for its failure to turn a profit and pursued an incentive-based contract with the management company.<ref>"W.D. shaping up for year 2." ''Pensacola News Journal'', November 18, 2001.</ref> [[Ogden Enterprises]], which had managed the Civic Center since its opening, had failed to turn a profit every year excluding [[1997]], the Ice Pilots' inaugural year, when they turned a $4,800 profit.<ref name="notprofitable">"Entertainment venues often aren't profitable, but Escambia officials want their subsidized facility to do better." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 30, 2002.</ref> When Ogden was bought by [[Wikipedia:Aramark|Aramark]], they turned over the management portion of their contract to SMG. When the venue began to show signs of vitality, Childers amended his previous statement: "It was an albatross, but maybe we can make an eagle out of it."<ref name="bouncingback">"Concert venue bouncing back." ''Pensacola News Journal'', March 18, 2002.</ref>
 
In August 2001, in a year with only five booked concerts, none of which sold out,<ref>"Civic Center enjoying the sweet sound of music." ''Pensacola News Journal'', May 9, 2003.</ref> then-[[Escambia County Commission|County Commissioner]] Childers decried the Civic Center as an "albatross" for its failure to turn a profit and pursued an incentive-based contract with the management company.<ref>"W.D. shaping up for year 2." ''Pensacola News Journal'', November 18, 2001.</ref> [[Ogden Enterprises]], which had managed the Civic Center since its opening, had failed to turn a profit every year excluding [[1997]], the Ice Pilots' inaugural year, when they turned a $4,800 profit.<ref name="notprofitable">"Entertainment venues often aren't profitable, but Escambia officials want their subsidized facility to do better." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 30, 2002.</ref> When Ogden was bought by [[Wikipedia:Aramark|Aramark]], they turned over the management portion of their contract to SMG. When the venue began to show signs of vitality, Childers amended his previous statement: "It was an albatross, but maybe we can make an eagle out of it."<ref name="bouncingback">"Concert venue bouncing back." ''Pensacola News Journal'', March 18, 2002.</ref>
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|+Civic Center data by year<ref name="notprofitable"/><ref name="bouncingback"/><ref>"Civic Center struggles in race for big-ticket concerts." ''Pensacola News Journal'', November 6, 1999.</ref>
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|+Civic Center operating budgets<ref name="notprofitable"/><ref name="bouncingback"/>
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|-
 
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! Year !! Operating profit/loss !! Number of concerts !! Average ticket price
 
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|-
 
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! 1985
 
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|  || 32 || $13.26
 
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|-
 
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! 1986
 
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|  || 22 || $13.86
 
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|-
 
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! 1987
 
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|  || 12 || $15.70
 
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|-
 
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! 1988
 
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|  || 20 || $15.66
 
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|-
 
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! 1989
 
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|  || 14 || $16.36
 
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|-
 
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! 1990
 
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|  || 17 || $18.53
 
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|-
 
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! 1991
 
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|  || 14 || $19.36
 
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|-
 
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! 1992
 
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|  || 16 || $18.72
 
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|-
 
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! 1993
 
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|  || 18 || $20.11
 
 
|-
 
|-
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! 1994
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! Year !! Operating profit/loss !! Number of concerts
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|  || 18 || $23.90
 
 
|-
 
|-
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! 1995
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! 1995-96
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| style="background:#ffcccc" | -$560,561<ref>Includes 84 days closed for ice installation</ref> || 14 || $22.91
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| style="background:#ffcccc" | -$560,561<ref>Includes 84 days closed for ice installation</ref> || 11
 
|-
 
|-
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! 1996
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! 1996-97
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| style="background:#ccffcc" | +$4,804 || 12 || $28.31
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| style="background:#ccffcc" | +$4,804 || 8
 
|-
 
|-
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! 1997
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! 1997-98
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| style="background:#ffcccc" | -$94,192 || 9 || $30.48
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| style="background:#ffcccc" | -$94,192 || 7
 
|-
 
|-
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! 1998
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! 1998-99
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| style="background:#ffcccc" | -$249,618 || 4 || $33.00
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| style="background:#ffcccc" | -$249,618 || 4
 
|-
 
|-
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! 1999
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! 1999-00
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| style="background:#ffcccc" | -$176,995 || 5 || $34.72
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| style="background:#ffcccc" | -$176,995 || 8
 
|-
 
|-
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! 2000
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! 2000-01
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|  ||  ||
+
|  ||  
 
|-
 
|-
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! 2001
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! 2001-02
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| style="background:#ffcccc" | -$469,000 || 5 ||
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| style="background:#ffcccc" | -$469,000 || 5  
 
|-
 
|-
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! 2002
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! 2002-03
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| ||  ||
+
| ||  
 
|-
 
|-
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! 2003
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! 2003-04
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| ||  ||
+
| ||  
 
|-
 
|-
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! 2004
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! 2004-05
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| ||  ||
+
| ||  
 
|-
 
|-
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! 2005
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! 2005-06
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| ||  ||
+
| ||  
 
|-
 
|-
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! 2006
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! 2006-07
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| || ||  
+
| ||  
 
|-
 
|-
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! 2007
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! 2007-08
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| || ||
+
| ||  
 
|}
 
|}
  

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