FleetCenter

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n Location: Boston, Massachusetts Opened: September 30, 1995 Size: 755,000 square feet on 3.2 acres Cost: $160 million Structured Steel: 8,100 tons Concessions: 36 permanant stands Restrooms: 17 men's, 17 women's Escalators: 13 Elevators: 7 General Contractor: Morse Diesel International Designers: Ellerbe Becket, Inc. Owner: \n* New Boston Garden Corporation\n* Subsidiary of Delaware North Companies\n Home Teams: \n* Boston Bruins, NHL hockey team\n* Boston Celtics, NBA basketball team Capacity: \n* 18,624 (basketball) \n* 17,565 (hockey)\n Height: \n* Ten stories\n* 162 feet high\n Length and width: \n* 468 feet long (east-west)\n* 300 feet wide (north-south)\n Parking garage \n* Five levels \n* 1150 spaces\n Website: http://www.fleetcenter.com \n

\nThe FleetCenter is a sports arena in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the home arena for the Boston Bruins, an NHL team, and the Boston Celtics, and NBA team. Like most sports areas, it also hosts other events, such as concerts, shows, conventions, graduations, wrestling matches, seminars, ice shows, and circuses.

History

\nFleetCenter was constructed to replace the aging Boston Garden as the home of the Boston Bruins hockey team and the Boston Celtics basketball team. The area opened on September 30, 1995. As suggested by the name, the arena was largely privately sponsored, mainly by Fleet Bank of Boston. The name of the FleetCenter is in doubt due to the April 1,2004 merger of FleetBoston Financial Group with Bank of America. FleetCenter is scheduled to host the 2004 Democratic National Convention, but security concerns may cause the venue to be moved to the South Boston Convention Center instead.

Facilities

\nFleetCenter retains Boston Garden's famous parquet floor for its basketball playing surface.