Iowa Events Center
The Iowa Events Center is a public events complex located in downtown Des Moines, Iowa.
Overview
When completed in 2005, the Iowa Events Center will consist of the existing Veterans Memorial Auditorium, the new Hy-Vee Hall, and the new Wells Fargo Arena. The new buildings were designed by HOK Sport, who were also the architects of the renovated Principal Park in Des Moines, the United Center in Chicago, and many other arenas and stadiums in the United States. The project is expected to cost $217 million, which makes this the largest public project in Iowa history. Funding for the project comes from Polk County and its cities, private donations, and the Vision Iowa Fund that Gov. Tom Vilsack signed into law in 2000. [1]
Construction began in early 2002 after Polk County reached a project-labor agreement with local labor unions that guaranteed favorable wages and working conditions in exchange for no work stoppages. Polk County was soon sued by right to work supporters who claimed that the use of a project-labor agreement on a public project violated Iowa's right to work laws. The lawsuit halted construction for several months, but on November 15, 2002, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled in Polk County's favor.
On April 22, 2004, Polk County agreed to transfer management of the Iowa Events Center to Global Spectrum of Philadelphia. Global Spectrum soon announced that the new Iowa Stars hockey team would be the center's primary tenant.
Veterans Memorial Auditorium
Named to honor the World War II veterans of Polk County, Veterans Memorial Auditorium opened on February 1, 1955. It has 7,227 permanent seats, with the capacity to add an additional 4,000 seats for concerts and an additional 7,500 bleacher seats for basketball games. Vets also features 44,972 square feet of exhibition space at its main arena and an additional 50,806 square feet at its exhibition hall. [2]
Vets Auditorium has served as the primary venue of sporting events and concerts in the Des Moines area for many years. Performers such as Elvis Presley, Lawrence Welk, Neil Diamond, and AC/DC have played here; this was also the site of the infamous 1982 concert where Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a live bat. Vets Auditorium was also home to the Iowa Barnstormers arena football team from 1995 to 2000 and is the longtime home of the Iowa state high school basketball and wrestling tournaments. In recent years, however, Vets began to show its age as newer and larger arenas were opening in other cities. The Barnstormers moved out because of the inadequacy of "The Barn" (as Vets was known during their games) and concert promoters began to bypass Des Moines for other cities.
Vets Auditorium will be modernized as part of the Iowa Events Center work. It will still be used for smaller arena events and exhibitions after the new buildings open. The Des Moines skywalk system will connect Vets with Wells Fargo Arena and Hy-Vee Hall.
Hy-Vee Hall
Hy-Vee Hall, which the Hy-Vee Food Stores chain owns the naming rights to, is the Iowa Events Center's new exhibition hall. It features 100,000 square feet of space for trade shows, conventions, and other major events. It also features eight meeting rooms with a total of 15,000 square feet of meeting space. [3] The south end of Hy-Vee Hall houses the Iowa Hall of Pride, which honors the achievements of Iowa high school athletes and performers. The Iowa Hall of Pride opened to the public on February 23, 2005.
Although it was still incomplete, Hy-Vee Hall hosted its first event, the Autumn Festival, from October 21 through October 23, 2004. It was formally dedicated on December 15, 2004.
Wells Fargo Arena
Named for title sponsor Wells Fargo Financial Services, Wells Fargo Arena will be the Des Moines area's new venue for sporting events and concerts. Its primary tenant will be the Iowa Stars hockey team, while Iowa State University's basketball teams also plan to hold invitational tournaments there in 2005 and 2006. Wells Fargo Arena will seat 15,585 for hockey games, 16,558 for basketball games, and as many as 17,170 for concerts. [4]. It will also feature the River Hills Restaurant, which will provide views of the Des Moines River and Iowa State Capitol. Completion is scheduled for the summer of 2005.