Tacoma Dome
Tacoma Dome is an indoor multi-purpose arena in Tacoma, Washington, United States. It is located south of Downtown Tacoma, adjacent to Interstate 5 and Tacoma Dome Station. It is currently used for basketball tournaments by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), concerts, and other community events. In its early years, it was primarily used as a venue for minor league ice hockey and indoor soccer, and later temporarily hosted professional teams from Seattle.[4]
Address
2727 East D Street
Tacoma, Washington
98421[1]
City of Tacoma
Venues & Events Department
21,000
- Indoor Soccer: 20,824
- Basketball: 20,722
- Hockey: 19,106
- Football: 10,000
July 1, 1981
April 21, 1983
2018
$44 million
($147 million in 2023 dollars[2])
McGranahan Messenger Associates[3]
Merit Co.[3]
Art[edit]
The Tacoma Dome is also known for its controversial neon art. In 1984, a work by Stephen Antonakos displayed inside the dome became the subject of intense debate over public funding of artworks for public works projects.[58]
Naming rights[edit]
The Tacoma city government considered selling the naming rights for the Dome on several occasions to pay for renovations or other amenities that would attract a major league team.[54] In 2002, the city hired a consultant to explore naming rights deals for various public facilities, including the Tacoma Dome, that would fund repairs and renovations.[59][60] A ten-year naming rights deal with Comcast or a local Toyota dealership was proposed the following year by the consultants after discussions with various companies.[61] Comcast emerged as the frontrunner and offered $3.5 million for the ten-year term in addition to free advertising on cable television that would be of equivalent value.[62] The company pulled out of the deal for the proposed "Comcast Dome" in December 2003, ahead of a city council vote and amid public backlash over the removal of "Tacoma" from its name.[63]
An offer to sell naming rights to city-owned Tacoma Power for $1.25 million annually was rejected in 2009 after a search for a city-inclusive name.[64] The city began soliciting new bids for a marketer in 2013 to search for naming rights sponsor, but the two submitted proposals were rejected for being too costly.[65]