Cumberland County Civic Center
The Cumberland County Civic Center is a 6,733-seat multi-purpose arena in Portland, Maine. Built in 1977 at a cost of $8 million, it is home to the Portland Pirates ice hockey team, various trade shows and the Maine Principals' Association high school basketball tournament.
The arena's official name is the George I. Lewis Auditorium at Cumberland County Civic Center. The press box is named for sportscasting legend, the late Frank Fixaris. There are 6,733 permanent seats in the arena, and it seats up to 9,000 for concerts. The arena floor features 34,500 square feet of space, making it useful for trade shows and conventions in addition to sports and concerts. ZZ Top was the very first act to play the Civic Center when it opened on March 3, 1977. The venue also hosted the America East Conference (then the ECAC North) men's basketball tournament in 1980.
The arena has had a unique history of having locals sponsor individual seats at the arena. Those who pay to sponsor seats at the Civic Center can have their name engraved on their seats or dedicate the seat to someone they know. The only tenants to the arena now are the Portland Pirates (Buffalo Sabre's farmhand).
The arena is dark and gloomy, seemingly caught in the "Modern" era of the 70's. The inside is simple, one deck rising 24 rows, 14 seats across at its widest, and 30 separated sections around. The only concourse is small, as are the three bathrooms per gender in the whole rink. During a sellout, it is impossible to weave through the crowd. There are four separate food counters to grab a bite, with adult beverage stands throughout the rink. There is one restaurant in the lobby known as the Penalty Box Grill, a great family place to eat before, during, or after the game. The location is prime, nestled right into the northern section of the Old Port (great place at night). All in all, this quaint little arena is great for watching a game or event.
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Monday October 06, 2008 at 15:27:06 PDT (GMT -0700)
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