Reunion Arena in Dallas

The Reunion Arena in Dallas is named after the district that it situated in La Reunion. La Reunion was once a socialist community in the 1800's. The community was inspired by a French philosopher who felt that the community should produce and distribute to those who had need. The Reunion Arena is located in downtown Dallas.

Reunion Arena is an indoor arena that caters to sports events. In the 1980's the arena hosted WCT Tennis tournaments but it also hosts basketball and ice hockey games. Sporting events are not the only thing that have taken place at Reunion Arena in Dallas. Rock bands and famous singers have all performed at the arena - especially during the 1980's. Whitney Houston, Journey, Van Halen, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Pink Floyd have all performed at the Reunion Arena at some point.

The arena has over 30,000 square feet of space and the venue can seat up to 18,000 attendees which makes it an ideal location to host concerts and other major events. Religious and political events have also had their place at the Reunion Arena as well. The Republican National Convention was held at the arena in 1984, and Benny Hinn held a miracle crusade at the venue in 1999. The last event at the arena of national significance was a Barack Obama rally that took place in February, 2008. Sporting events are one of the main functions of the Reunion Arena. The arena has been home to three national sporting teams; Dallas Sidekicks, Dallas Stars, and the Dallas Mavericks.

There are several hotels within close proximity to the Reunion Arena. The West End Hotel, The Adolphus, Dallas Plaza Hotel, and Spring Hill Suites by Marriott are all located less than a mile from the Reunion Arena. The arena sits right next to the Reunion Tower/ Hyatt Regency Hotel and the newly renovated Dallas Convention Center.

In 2003, the Reunion Arena begin to lose money and become a financial drain on the city. Reunion Arena is 100% publicly financed and creates revenue from holding concerts and events which begin to decline around the year 2003. Within a five year period, the building lost more than six million dollars. Finally, in June 2008, Dallas City Council Members voted unanimously to demolish the 28-year-old facility. The outdated facility lost marketability and was no longer bringing in the revenue from large concerts and events as it did in the 1980's and 90's. The demolition of the Reunion Arena will cost an excess of five million dollars but will save the city financially in the long run by redeveloping the property into an economically prosperous businesses. In September 2008, The City of Dallas held a public online auction for equipment and other items that came from the Reunion Arena. More than 300 items were put up for sale and the auction was conducted by lone star auctioneers. The official demolition of the Reunion Arena was set for March 2009.