CFG Bank Arena

CFG Bank Arena
CFG Bank Arena Logo
The Arena in 2021
Map
CFG Bank Arena is located in Maryland
CFG Bank Arena
CFG Bank Arena
Location within Maryland
CFG Bank Arena is located in the United States
CFG Bank Arena
CFG Bank Arena
CFG Bank Arena (the United States)
Former names
  • Baltimore Civic Center (1961–1986)
  • Baltimore Arena (1986–2003, 2013–2014, 2022)
  • 1st Mariner Arena (2003–2013)
  • Royal Farms Arena (2014–2022)
Address201 West Baltimore Street
LocationBaltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Coordinates39°17′19″N 76°37′8″W / 39.28861°N 76.61889°W / 39.28861; -76.61889
Public transit Charles Center
Baltimore Arena
OwnerCity of Baltimore
OperatorOak View Group
Executive suites38
Capacity
Record attendance14,686 (PBC: Gervonta Davis vs. Ricardo Nunez, 2019)
Construction
Broke groundDecember 1959
OpenedOctober 23, 1962 (1962-10-23)
Renovated1986, 2003, 2022–2023
Construction cost$14 million
($146 million in 2023 dollars[1])
ArchitectAG Odell Jr. and Associates
Tenants
Website
cfgbankarena.com

CFG Bank Arena[2] is a multipurpose arena in Baltimore, Maryland. This venue is located about one block away from the Baltimore Convention Center on the corner of Baltimore Street and Hopkins Place in downtown Baltimore. With a seating capacity of up to 14,000 for concerts,[3] CFG Bank Arena is owned by the City of Baltimore and managed by the Oak View Group, a global sports and entertainment company.[3]

The venue officially opened on October 23, 1962, as the Baltimore Civic Center.[4] Designed by AG Odell Jr. and Associates,[5] it was built on the site of Old Congress Hall, where the Continental Congress met in 1776. The venue has been home to several Baltimore-based sports teams, most notably the Baltimore Bullets (now Washington Wizards) of the NBA from 1963 to 1973.

As a cornerstone for the Inner Harbor redevelopment during the 1980s, it was reopened after renovations and renamed the Baltimore Arena in 1986. In 2003, it was renamed 1st Mariner Arena for Baltimore-based 1st Mariner Bank, which purchased naming rights to the arena for 10 years. When this naming rights agreement ended in 2013, the arena returned to its "Baltimore Arena" name until convenience store chain Royal Farms purchased the naming rights in September 2014;[2] the arena was known as Royal Farms Arena until 2022. After an extensive renovation, the venue reopened as CFG Bank Arena in February 2023.

  1. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Baltimore's Largest Indoor Entertainment Facility Renamed Royal Farms Arena". CBS Baltimore. September 18, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
  3. ^ a b "About Us". CFG Bank Arena. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  4. ^ "7,760 ATTEND CENTER OPENING". The Baltimore Sun. October 24, 1962. ProQuest 539784595.
  5. ^ Hayward, Mary Ellen; Shivers Jr., Frank, eds. (May 26, 2004). "Building a Renaissance, 1955-2000". The Architecture of Baltimore: An Illustrated History. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 282. ISBN 0801878063.