View Full Version : WICHITA - Intrust Bank Arena (15,004)


DPruett2333
January 27th, 2009, 06:56 PM
The new downtown arena in Wichita, Kansas. It will be finished in early 2010.

http://www.sedgwickcounty.org/arena/images/picture2.jpg

http://www.sedgwickcounty.org/arena/images/picture4.jpg

http://www.sedgwickcounty.org/arena/arena_designs/ViewTpLowerBowl.jpg

Construction photos:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/3178428289_b6651bf68b_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/2908331018_d45afed638_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3477/3178427439_33ce27591e_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3339/3177940636_a02449034d_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3179262960_719ac01a37_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2957715680_d69d0dccb8_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3087/2653546244_27fea7f5b0_b.jpg

Benn
January 27th, 2009, 09:56 PM
Love the exterior, not so sure about the extra corporate sideline, especially with no chance of a major team. But I guess if the market is in demand for alot of suites and boxes. Hope they aren't planning much basketball use, looks good for concerts and hockey though.

adamsputnik
January 29th, 2009, 09:33 PM
I daresay the prime tenant would be Wichita State University, which has a big basketball program.

Can't think of any other teams in Wichita that would be worthy of a 15,000 seat arena to be honest.

KingmanIII
January 30th, 2009, 01:53 AM
I daresay the prime tenant would be Wichita State University, which has a big basketball program.

Can't think of any other teams in Wichita that would be worthy of a 15,000 seat arena to be honest.

WSU already has its own arena, the Charles Koch Arena.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2299/1877600403_52bdc9b8c3_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1408/1287618903_9fa138e067_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3229494276_6a00d0d3cc_b.jpg

This arena is a monumental waste of money.

DPruett2333
January 30th, 2009, 07:52 AM
The main tenant for the new arena is the Wichita Thunder hockey team, which is part of the CHL. Also rumored for the new arena, is new AF2 and indoor soccer teams. It will also host ALL concerts and MANY other sporting events.

It's FAARRRR from a waste of money! Me and about 99% of the people I know can't wait 'til it's finished, so that we can go to some events there!!

KingmanIII
January 30th, 2009, 08:27 AM
The main tenant for the new arena is the Wichita Thunder hockey team, which is part of the CHL. Also rumored for the new arena, is new AF2 and indoor soccer teams. It will also host ALL concerts and MANY other sporting events.

It's FAARRRR from a waste of money! Me and about 99% of the people I know can't wait 'til it's finished, so that we can go to some events there!!

So you think minor-league arena football, soccer and hockey will sell out 14-15K?

I sure hope you're right...

And for $200M+, yes, an arena of this size is a waste of money.

DPruett2333
January 30th, 2009, 08:33 AM
No arena in the United States sells out EVERY event that it hosts...

Also, the arena itself costs $183,625,241 not $200+ million. :)

KingmanIII
January 31st, 2009, 04:10 AM
No arena in the United States sells out EVERY event that it hosts...

Also, the arena itself costs $183,625,241 not $200+ million. :)
Adding in land acquisition costs and renovations to the Kansas Coliseum, the project comes up to $205.5M.

Most arenas this size cost no more than $150M.

DPruett2333
January 31st, 2009, 08:04 AM
I just looked up a bunch of the figures and it really is in about the middle of the pack...

What do you think of Tulsa building a 19,000 seat arena while only having just a CHL hockey team(with worse attendance than Wichita) and an AF2 team(only averaging 5,000+ a game)?

Loranga
January 31st, 2009, 11:16 AM
Will it have an olympic sized hockey rink? It looks like that on the drawings...

DPruett2333
January 31st, 2009, 05:47 PM
No, it's not going to be Olympic sized. It will be the standard, 85’ x 200”.

KingmanIII
January 31st, 2009, 06:04 PM
I just looked up a bunch of the figures and it really is in about the middle of the pack...

What do you think of Tulsa building a 19,000 seat arena while only having just a CHL hockey team(with worse attendance than Wichita) and an AF2 team(only averaging 5,000+ a game)?
Tulsa's decision to build the BOK Center at that capacity and cost ($195M) was almost equally dubious. Same goes for Sprint Center ($276M) here in KC.

DPruett2333
February 6th, 2009, 07:22 AM
Alright, well at least you're fair. :)

KingmanIII
February 6th, 2009, 09:11 AM
Alright, well at least you're fair. :)

Yeah, KC's my hometown, and while I'm certainly proud of such a splendid facility, part of me looks at the fact that OKC built the Ford Center for under $90M, and even after $120M in renovations for NBA it costs substantially less than the $276M we're on the hook for (with no NBA or NHL tenant). I read somewhere that Sprint Center is still the most expensive arena in the US or Canada without a major-league anchor tenant--the arena portion of the $291M Qwest Center in Omaha cost only about $80M. I feel that we could've built a 17/18,000-seat arena for under $200M that still would've not only brought the Big 12 and NCAA tournament back to KC but also landed an NBA or NHL tenant in the future.

BoulderGrad
February 8th, 2009, 11:11 AM
Tulsa's decision to build the BOK Center at that capacity and cost ($195M) was almost equally dubious. Same goes for Sprint Center ($276M) here in KC.

Sprint Center was built to lure a major league franchise for either the NBA, NHL, or Both. Right now, of course its a waste of money because they have neither. But that's still better than a 19,000 seat arena designed to host AA hockey.

Bigmac1212
February 9th, 2009, 12:17 AM
This arena kinda reminds me of Atlanta's Philips Arena.

en1044
February 10th, 2009, 06:46 AM
WSU already has its own arena, the Charles Koch Arena.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2299/1877600403_52bdc9b8c3_o.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1408/1287618903_9fa138e067_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3229494276_6a00d0d3cc_b.jpg

This arena is a monumental waste of money.

unrelated, however i feel i must say this.

This arena has absolutely the worst tv camera angle i have ever seen.

DPruett2333
February 14th, 2009, 06:12 PM
It's one of the loudest though!!!

bing222
February 15th, 2009, 03:38 AM
Great photos

KingmanIII
February 15th, 2009, 04:53 AM
It's one of the loudest though!!!

Even during a bad season, they're a tough team to beat at home.

A lot of MVC teams are that way.

DPruett2333
February 18th, 2009, 12:51 AM
I went out and took some new pictures of the arena today! I tried to photo stitch three of the photos together, so some of the the seams may look a bit weird. I hope you like 'em though!!!

The front and South side of the arena.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3289/3288315513_7091ba21ea_o.jpg

The West side of the arena.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/3289135296_5b600944a2_o.jpg

The North side of the arena.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3408/3289135386_5286f6a8b4_o.jpg

- - - - -

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3239/3288300339_fc63887823_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3359/3289117554_761af5a167_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3330/3288300419_e6cd5e589b_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3177/3288304069_f85ff165d0_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3451/3289117692_ca70778a17_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3402/3289117724_d2b37b260c_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3440/3289117784_f4f9f11a29_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3609/3288300585_79cd4fcaa0_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3312/3289117908_09e7916a3e_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3316/3289118422_cf612a69b3_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3375/3289118578_9f409a437e_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3355/3289118748_662ff28c8d_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3511/3288301695_15960ca7ff_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3288301813_e7fcfd159b_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3299/3289119150_ef695da572_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/3288302053_accf463315_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3288302189_f203024bfa_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3614/3288302353_034fb7f0e1_o.jpg

El Mariachi
February 18th, 2009, 06:26 AM
nice looking arena.

DPruett2333
February 19th, 2009, 07:13 PM
Some of the first glimpses of the inside:

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/02/20/20/874-022009arena_fs4.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/02/20/20/285-022009arena_fs10.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/02/20/20/970-022009arena_fs7.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

DPruett2333
March 15th, 2009, 01:21 AM
*bump*

wsushox1
April 25th, 2009, 01:42 AM
Can't wait for it to get done. It is looking very nice!

There are new picture of it and of the inside! up at www.intrustbankarena.com/media

Click on Construction Photos and scroll through them. They are however outdated a little bit because the have the seating bowl completely finished now and they don't in those pictures.

DPruett2333
June 29th, 2009, 03:28 PM
I'll try and take some new pictures of the arena! It might be finished three months early, which would be this November!

NMAISTER007
June 29th, 2009, 04:06 PM
Where exactly is this arena being built?

KingmanIII
June 29th, 2009, 09:17 PM
Where exactly is this arena being built?
Wichita, Kansas.

NMAISTER007
June 29th, 2009, 10:20 PM
is Kansas in USA?

Ukraine
June 30th, 2009, 12:16 AM
is Kansas in USA?

yes

KingmanIII
June 30th, 2009, 10:29 AM
is Kansas in USA?
almost smack-dab in the middle
http://www.world-guides.com/images/wichita/map1_wichita.jpg

NMAISTER007
June 30th, 2009, 08:52 PM
Oh ok, thnx

DPruett2333
July 10th, 2009, 04:07 PM
Here are some new pics of the arena!!

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/284-071009arena_fs1.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/500-071009arena_fs3.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/435-071009arena_fs2.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/712-071009arena_fs4.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/297-071009arena_fs18.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/788-071009arena_fs19.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/914-071009arena_fs17.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/343-071009arena_fs10.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/401-071009arena_fs14.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/409-071009arena_fs12.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/888-071009arena_fs11.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/09/16/994-071009arena_fs13.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

Luke80
July 10th, 2009, 06:45 PM
Looking great. Really like the seating configuration as well.

KingmanIII
July 10th, 2009, 07:08 PM
Whoa, those brick arches are absolutely stunning.

Never showed them in the renderings.

likasz
July 10th, 2009, 08:20 PM
Where in Wichita will be match USA vs. Netherlands in volleyball's World League?

NMAISTER007
July 10th, 2009, 11:49 PM
I love the outside of this stadium, its absolutely brilliant. The architect of this arena must have been really imaginative

DPruett2333
July 11th, 2009, 02:38 AM
Where in Wichita will be match USA vs. Netherlands in volleyball's World League?

It will be at Koch Arena on the campus of Wichita State University(Pictures below).

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1408/1287618903_9fa138e067_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3229494276_6a00d0d3cc_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2299/1877600403_52bdc9b8c3_o.jpg

KingmanIII
July 11th, 2009, 04:26 AM
I love the outside of this stadium, its absolutely brilliant. The architect of this arena must have been really imaginative
The arena design consortium presented three different designs to the public, and this one won almost unanimously.

Shocker_fan
July 15th, 2009, 11:56 PM
I took a look at the photos of the new Arena and one thing seems to be missing. Did you forget to show everyone the Sedgwick County Work Release facility across the street? Surely it would appear on a photo or two. I think it is only fair that visitors to this "attraction" should be aware that some of the County's rehab projects are just steps away. These work-release Wichitans are a welcoming committee that is eager to show out-of-towners some local flavor! Wander the lovely Downtown area and mingle with the convicts!!!
Hilarious. This Arena has been a disaster since the day they started the campaign of lies, misinformation, and "work it out later" nonsense. They couldn't even keep the story straight until Election Day, yet some turned a blind eye to reality as it went from being a "profitable" project to a "break even" project...then ended up being what most of us KNEW all along. A drain on the taxpayers.

DPruett2333
July 17th, 2009, 08:24 PM
I took a look at the photos of the new Arena and one thing seems to be missing. Did you forget to show everyone the Sedgwick County Work Release facility across the street? Surely it would appear on a photo or two. I think it is only fair that visitors to this "attraction" should be aware that some of the County's rehab projects are just steps away. These work-release Wichitans are a welcoming committee that is eager to show out-of-towners some local flavor! Wander the lovely Downtown area and mingle with the convicts!!!
Hilarious. This Arena has been a disaster since the day they started the campaign of lies, misinformation, and "work it out later" nonsense. They couldn't even keep the story straight until Election Day, yet some turned a blind eye to reality as it went from being a "profitable" project to a "break even" project...then ended up being what most of us KNEW all along. A drain on the taxpayers.

*YAWN* - blah, blah, blah...

KingmanIII
July 18th, 2009, 03:36 AM
*YAWN* - blah, blah, blah...
Funny how that guy registered just to post that one message...

Shocker_fan
July 22nd, 2009, 11:35 PM
While researching the arena vote and the many lines of BS Wichitans were fed, I found this forum. The latest line? After being told part of the tax money raised would benefit another facility, we were told it would be closed. AFTER millions had been spent to refurbish it!
It was amusing to see so much support for the project on this forum. I felt someone should show the OTHER side of this. Didn't you find it odd that someone would stand in a four lane street to take photos of the arena from various angles, yet they never managed to get a shot of the Work Release facility? Protection One got free advertising, why not the rehab facility?

DPruett2333
July 24th, 2009, 12:01 AM
Didn't you find it odd that someone would stand in a four lane street to take photos of the arena from various angles, yet they never managed to get a shot of the Work Release facility? Protection One got free advertising, why not the rehab facility?

Are you serious? Have you ever been to other arenas or stadiums around the nation? About 75% of them are in ghetto areas, especially if they're downtown. Stop being annoying, please.

Universal Soulja
July 24th, 2009, 12:38 AM
Looking great. Really like the seating configuration as well.

:nuts::nuts::nuts:

Borat Voice *


NIiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiccccCE

rockin'.baltimorean
July 24th, 2009, 12:45 AM
nice new arena coming. way to go, wichita!:okay:

Shocker_fan
July 25th, 2009, 05:28 AM
---Have you ever been to other arenas or stadiums around the nation? About 75% of them are in ghetto areas, especially if they're downtown. Stop being annoying, please.-------------------------

Hilarious. Reporting the truth is "annoying". Your own comment should TELL you something. Remember the lie we were told? Something about this arena bringing a rundown area of the city back to life? Concerts, events, trade shows, etc. All that precious revenue would revitalize the entire area. You just DESTROYED that assumption, genius. If other arenas located in "ghetto" areas of other cities didn't make the ghetto disappear, will this one? That area hasn't been pleasant after sundown in decades, how many condos are you planning to buy within walking distance?
You never comment on the lies, the millions WASTED, etc. You are one of the sheep they were looking for. See you in five years when this arena is being outdone by the Hartman arena north of town. You know, the one that taxpayers weren't asked to foot the bill for. The one across the highway from Britt Brown and the Pavilions they spent millions upgrading. Now the idiots in charge want to CLOSE the upgraded Pavilions down.

DPruett2333
July 26th, 2009, 08:01 AM
LOL - Are you seriously THAT mad about the 1 cent sales tax?! I feel sorry for you. Thanks for making me laugh. :)

NMAISTER007
July 27th, 2009, 04:38 PM
Any new photos or updates?

DPruett2333
July 28th, 2009, 06:38 PM
Yeah, a couple:

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/24/14/225-072609arena_jo11.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/24/14/674-072609arena_jo2copy.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/24/14/521-072609arena_jo13.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/24/14/115-072609arena_jo6copy.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/24/14/655-072609arena_jo7copy.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/07/24/14/754-072609arena_jo9copy.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.jpg

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs199.snc1/6760_103734828777_85480898777_2084143_1751745_n.jpg

http://photos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs179.snc1/6760_103738408777_85480898777_2084190_3660376_n.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs117.snc1/5173_95771783777_85480898777_1959786_6257931_n.jpg

Shocker_fan
July 29th, 2009, 11:48 PM
LOL - Are you seriously THAT mad about the 1 cent sales tax?! I feel sorry for you. Thanks for making me laugh. :)

One cent? How about one PERCENT. The fact is, every tax increase matters. If it didn't, people wouldn't have demanded that the tax expire. If that tax was so harmless, why not extend it to pay for other projects? Afterall, nobody cares about a penny here or there. Then we can add two, three, or eight more little penny taxes. The "what about (insert worthy project here) getting some funding?" speech. A person gets a wage increase of 3 or 4%, you just wiped out a substantial portion of that new spending power. It's ok, though. We get an NCAA Tournament weekend once every 5-8 years. And maybe Britney Spears has a concert here. The payoffs are astounding!
If this was a great money-making idea, the taxpayers wouldn't have funded it. Essentially, we contributed a startup fund to every business that opens near the arena. You paid them to locate their operation downtown and they thank you by charging EACH time you park there. They didn't contribute anything special to the arena, but they will profit by operating next to it. Classic.

Luke80
July 30th, 2009, 12:04 PM
You're getting a brand new arena out of it though.

DPruett2333
July 30th, 2009, 03:48 PM
Luke, you might as well not even bother. lol - Shocker_fan: You're stuff is getting old. It's an improvement on the city. Period. If the 1 cent sales tax burdened your family and made you this bitter, maybe you need a better job...

Shocker_fan
August 2nd, 2009, 08:15 PM
- Shocker_fan: You're stuff is getting old. It's an improvement on the city. Period. If the 1 cent sales tax burdened your family and made you this bitter, maybe you need a better job...
Your inability to own up to the MANY mistakes made in this process are very telling. My stuff is "getting old", but your photographs are fresh? Please. You ignore the outright lies told to get this project approved. You must not live in Wichita, since the parking issue is a DAILY story. They promised us parking, yet they never bothered to ADD the parking they promised. They STILL lie, yet the dopes who want this arena are willing to allow anything. What we used to have was an open parking lot surrounding the Coliseum. Parking was easily seen and cheaply had. What we will have now? People circling the arena, diving in and out of private lots and "shared" garages, hoping they find something. The costs will be much higher. The traffic jam will be from all sides. The law enforcement necessary to keep flow will be several times the cost we had at the Coliseum.
Your attempt to minimize the tax cost is a laugh. My income is fine, your attack is juvenile. If you are so well-off, perhaps you and your rich friends could get together and build the arena yourselves. THAT would show support. Would you embrace a temporary little tax hike if it were related to a project you saw as unnecessary or poorly planned? You know, something OTHER people might want. A new race track, zoo, mall, etc?
It isn't just the cost, genius. The principle matters. The fact that you can never explain the lies and mistakes tells me all I need to know.
I hope seeing the Jonas Brothers in concert is worth it to you.

MillerTime
August 3rd, 2009, 08:38 PM
I really like the design of the interior on this arena, but im not a huge fan of the exterior. Its not too original and i dont like the roof portion on it. It just seems oddly shaped and like a second thought to the rest of the building. Other than that i think this will be a great addition for the city of Wichita.

DPruett2333
September 25th, 2009, 01:44 AM
Some updated pics off the arena!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2428/3888238540_ba33bc6464_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3423/3888234148_0b52de4689_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2611/3888241870_4a7e0f5b51_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2527/3888240106_9b630ddf5d_b.jpg

Luke80
September 25th, 2009, 01:46 AM
Looks great from the outside!

Will we get any interior pics?

Shocker_fan
October 10th, 2009, 06:40 AM
Been gone for some time now. Did DPruett give everyone the GREAT news? NO? Ok, I will.
1). The Intrust Bank Arena was SUPPOSED to be a magnet for the NCAA basketball tournament, an event bringing in thousands of people for a weekend of basketball. Was supposed to generate millions of dollars of revenue for the local businesses. Guess what? The NCAA turned the Arena down for the next several years! A "yes" vote was supposed to lock in a tournament weekend. Someone apparently lied.
2). The parking situation is still a disaster. The City finally hired consultants who showed them all the "shared parking", meaning early evening shows will be a nightmare during the week. The large parking lot directly East is a no-go for now after negotiations broke down. Still no parking garages, the City now plays dumb and acts as though they never thought we needed them. To sum it up, they built an Arena with no clue where the parking would be. Now they scramble to find it, but the local dopes in charge of this fiasco will get front row parking, so who cares?
3). The vote called for improvements to an existing facility. After spending MILLIONS to upgrade part of it, the County suddenly tried to close it. We voted "yea", they spend millions, then tried to get rid of the buildings. The plan has morphed a few times, now the bidding for the PUBLICLY OWNED site is a bit of a secret. Taxpayers and voters are left in the dark so the clowns in the local Gov't can eliminate a potential competitor to the new Arena. Not to worry, another brand new Arena opened just North of town and it will steal a large portion of the medium-sized events from the Arena. Why? Easier location to get in/out of, building won't overwhelm the shows, parking won't be a problem.
4). After keeping the opening act a secret for weeks, they announce that some hillbilly will be singing about his dog and his favorite fishing spot. The announcement was drowned out by the sounds of crickets. A hilarious ~thud~ went over the City as people asked, "WHO?" No Kansas connection, no variety of audience. So much for inviting the city to kick off the Arena in style.
Voted on this project five years ago. No NCAA tournament for AT LEAST the next several years, lame opening act, parking problems are unchanged, and a horrible doublecross by the County. What a great-looking building though, huh?

Ganis
October 12th, 2009, 04:20 AM
Amarillo will take it if you dont want it. Their Civic Center is a joke in the AFL2

DPruett2333
November 5th, 2009, 07:27 AM
It's almost done!!! A couple new pics...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3464/3753558600_ef71b9a0dc_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/3887444195_c08c9f969c_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/3943220920_7b2870846c_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2605/3887442563_3e3f6bf8e6_b.jpg

http://localism.com/image_store/uploads/9/3/3/0/8/ar125546242580339.JPG

KingmanIII
November 5th, 2009, 04:26 PM
Angsty Shocker_fan response in T-minus-5...4...3...2...1...

Ganis
November 6th, 2009, 05:58 AM
who is going to play here?

DPruett2333
November 6th, 2009, 03:41 PM
who is going to play here?

Wichita Thunder hockey, AFL football team(rumors), concerts, sporting events, etc...

Luke80
November 7th, 2009, 12:00 AM
Looks great from the outside - can't wait for interior seating bowl pictures!

Ganis
November 7th, 2009, 10:17 AM
AFL football team(rumors)

ummmm.... the AFL no longer exists

BoulderGrad
November 7th, 2009, 12:19 PM
ummmm.... the AFL no longer exists

The original league no longer exist, but apparently, a new one has been created from the remaining teams of both the old AFL, and afl2. It will be called Arena Football 1, and starts play next season:

http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/afl/news/story?id=4512394
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arena_Football_1

However the Wikipedia page makes no mention of a team in Wichita at the moment.

Ganis
November 7th, 2009, 04:36 PM
o cool....dang, no dallas team

DPruett2333
November 29th, 2009, 08:49 PM
"BY BRENT D. WISTROM
The Wichita Eagle

Intrust Bank Arena plans a grand opening in January that includes a tour, a food drive, local bands on the big stage, a skate around with the Wichita Thunder hockey team and a coloring contest.

The events span three separate days in January.

At the Jan. 2 ribbon cutting at 11 a.m., people will get their first chance to tour the arena, including a walk-through of dressing and locker rooms and premium seating. Folks can also play Guitar Hero and take jump shots in the arena's basketball set-up until 5 p.m.

Concessions will be offered for $1 to give people a relatively cheap chance to taste the foods that will be served during events.

Leading up to the ribbon cutting, kids ages 6-12 can submit 8.5-by-11-inch drawings of what they want to see or do in the arena. A winner will be randomly chosen to cut the ribbon at the grand opening and get a special arena tour and tickets to see the Harlem Globetrotters.

The Eagle is sponsoring the contest. Drawings can be dropped off before Dec. 18 at the arena administration offices on the west side of the building or mailed to 500 E. Waterman, Wichita, KS 67202.

That day, the arena management company, SMG, will also have a food collection bin where people can bring non-perishable items that will go to the Kansas Food Bank.

On Jan. 12 from 6 to 9 p.m., ROK ICT, which organized the First Friday music crawls, will have three local bands playing the arena's main stage while arena tours are given.

Jan. 26 from 6 to 8 p.m., people can meet and skate with the Wichita Thunder. It's free and there will be free skates for those who don't have any."

DPruett2333
December 4th, 2009, 05:52 PM
"BY SUZANNE PEREZ TOBIAS
The Wichita Eagle

WICHITA - About 15 minutes after tickets went on sale at Intrust Bank Arena, officials announced that the Taylor Swift concert is sold out. Twelve box office windows at the arena opened at 10 a.m.

Marvin Osman was at the ticket window when concert tickets sold out.

"They went quickly, and I knew they would," he said.

Sunny Schmidt got the first six tickets for her 8-year-old daughter Riley and friends.

Tickets went on sale at 10 a.m. Because of a lottery system used for in-person ticket purchases at the arena box office, Deb Shirkey, the holder of raffle ticket No. 140, was the first in line.

She was trying to get tickets for her 14- and 19-year-old daughters.

"I'm excited," Shirkey said. "I tried to get tickets online yesterday and couldn't."

People started arriving at 5 a.m. today, with about 40 people in line for raffle tickets at about 8:30 a.m.

Shirkey arrived this morning at 8:40 a.m.

The goal of the lottery system was to eliminate the possibility of overnight lines and camping.

No line was allowed to form until 7 a.m. Anyone age 12 or older who was in the line by 9:30 a.m. received one raffle ticket. At 9:30 a.m., the tickets were shuffled, and one ticket was drawn. The person who had the matching ticket number become the first person in line. Everyone else stayed in numerical order, and those with lower ticket numbers went to the end of the line. People who arrived after the lottery also went to the end of the line.

Regarding the lottery, Scott Neal, assistant general manager for SMG, said, "It's pretty standard for arenas across the country and across the world. We just want to make sure there's a fair opportunity for everyone that comes."

As people received their raffle tickets, they headed back to their cars to warm up.

Most people wanted tickets for daughters, sisters or nieces.

Crystal Branaugh has 7-year-old daughter Hailey.

"This is all she wants for Christmas," Branaugh said. "Nothing else."

Jennifer Hughes wanted tickets for 10-year-old daughter Savannah.

"I figure I probably won't get them, but I had to try," Hughes said.

Azure Winter said her 7-year-old daughter, Sydnie, was excited at the thought of seeing Taylor Swift "in real life." If they get tickets it would be her first concert.

Krispy Kreme donated dozens of donuts and coffee.

Arena officials allowed people in (briefly, with an escort) to use bathrooms.

Tickets also went on sale at 10 a.m. at Select-A-Seat outlets, www.selectaseat.com and phone sales at 316-755-SEAT.

Tickets were $61.50, $51.50 and $27."

DPruett2333
December 30th, 2009, 05:35 AM
New pictures of the arena! Enjoy!!

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg08.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg04.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg30.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg24.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg23.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg19.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg17.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg15.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg45.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg43.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg42.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg35.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg34.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg33.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg32.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg31.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg62.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg57.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg56.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg51.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

http://media.kansas.com/smedia/2009/12/28/15/122209arena_jg47.slideshow_main.prod_affiliate.80.JPG

Sea Toby
January 4th, 2010, 03:14 AM
Thanks for the inside photo views of another very nice arena. Wichita, much alike Tulsa, wish to have a very nice arena despite their minor league status. Wichita should be able to book major music concerts and possibly bag a NCAA regional basketball tournament as well.....

While some taxpayers will complain about any government expenditure except the repaving of the streets they use, the hotel and restaurant associations will be happy to bag several more music concerts each year and possibly bag every once in a while a NCAA basketball regional tournament...

The city of Dallas has never let the State Fair and/or the Cotton Bowl down. Since the beginning when Dallas bagged the State Fair a long time ago, what is good for the State Fair has also been good for Dallas. The State Fair brings more tourists in and fills the downtown hotels more than any other convention. Period.

eMKay
January 5th, 2010, 02:16 AM
It's beautiful, definitely has a prairie style to it, a lot like Target Field which I also like very much.

Sea Toby
January 28th, 2010, 05:35 AM
As far as bagging an NCAA basketball regional tournament, Wichita is up against these other Big 12 large city arenas: Dallas' American Airlines Center, Houston's Toyota Center, San Antonio's AT&T Center, Oklahoma City's Ford Center, Tulsa's BOK Center, Kansas City's Sprint Center, St. Louis' Scottrade Center, Des Moines' Wells Fargo Arena, Omaha's Qwest Center, Denver's Pepsi Center. Eventually Intrust Bank Center will win a NCAA basketball tournament, but don't expect one as soon as you build a new arena.... You will be lucky to win one every fifteen years or so....

The point is now that you have a new arena, there is a better chance of bagging a tournament. With your old arena, Wichita never had a chance against other newer arenas....

Hint for those Liverpool FC fans, notice everyone of these large city arenas in the states of the Big 12 Conference have sold their naming rights to cooperations....

dmoor82
March 13th, 2010, 04:24 PM
I just looked up a bunch of the figures and it really is in about the middle of the pack...

What do you think of Tulsa building a 19,000 seat arena while only having just a CHL hockey team(with worse attendance than Wichita) and an AF2 team(only averaging 5,000+ a game)?

^^^^Ahh,but your also forgetting The Tulsa 66'ers NBA D-leaugue team(affiliate of The OKC Thunder)and The new WNBA team The Tulsa shock!Tulsa's arena is bigger and looks nicer!atleast from The outside,BOK looks kinda shabby from The inside(The bowl does)The main concourse and lobby's are amazing,kinda like an art gallery!anyways this is a great new arena for WHC,it looks good!hopefully The OKC Thunder can have some pre-season games there!

Beetle
March 13th, 2010, 07:18 PM
I went out and took some new pictures of the arena today! I tried to photo stitch three of the photos together, so some of the the seams may look a bit weird. I hope you like 'em though!!!

(Whole bunch of photos here.)



Maybe you should try using Autostitch. I've done it numerous times and the results I get from those panorama shots are seemless. 18 years ago, way before I could even dream of having a home computer, let alone photoshop, I took four pictures of a friendly game of my club sc Heerenveen of the Netherlands against the giants a FC Barcelona, with Johan Cruijff still as a trainer. Back then our stadium could only hold about 14000 spectators but the demand was way higher.

I took four shots with my camera with the intention of sticking them together with tape and glue. I am vety thankful that I didn't do it that way....
I still had the originals and scanned them, inserted them in autostitch and tuned the pictures. The result was great. It is still one of the few good overviews of the old stadium, which was razed to make way for a new one. I am very fond of this memory. Here's the picture.

http://i42.************/4vsqc2.jpg

Here's a panorama shot of the current stadium. This panorama was created with about 25 shots.

http://i43.************/287lkkx.jpg

Here is the link.
http://cvlab.epfl.ch/~brown/autostitch/autostitch.html

Agent Zeke
March 17th, 2010, 11:40 PM
Fantastic arena, great job Wichita!

Are the Thunder the only team to play here right now? Do they even sell out the building for CHL games?

I know WSU has a very good basketball program and the Roundhouse is plenty big enough, but would they play any games here too? Big out of conference matchups or rivalry games. It seems like a great program coupled with a brand new arena should certainly sell tickets.

gnzlnho
March 18th, 2010, 01:03 AM
Wow, that's awesome. Great job!
I used to live in Wichita, but now im in Buenos Aires. I miss KS btw :)

DPruett2333
March 25th, 2010, 07:02 PM
Fantastic arena, great job Wichita!

Are the Thunder the only team to play here right now? Do they even sell out the building for CHL games?

I know WSU has a very good basketball program and the Roundhouse is plenty big enough, but would they play any games here too? Big out of conference matchups or rivalry games. It seems like a great program coupled with a brand new arena should certainly sell tickets.

Thanks for the kind words, man.

The Thunder is the only team playing there as of now. We had a absolutely horrid season this year(9-50-5), but we still managed to come in 2nd in the CHL in attendance at over 5,000+ per game.

The Shockers are planning on playing one game a season at the new arena, against an out of conference foe. Maybe Tulsa next year... We would love to have K-State or KU play us there... They won't though... lol

DPruett2333
April 16th, 2010, 05:16 PM
INTRUST BANK ARENA RANKS IN TOP 50 TICKET SALES IN THE WORLD.

(WICHITA, KS) – The SMG-managed INTRUST Bank Arena cracked Pollstar’s Top 50 Arena Venues worldwide for ticket sales during the first quarter of 2010. INTRUST Bank Arena ranked 22nd in the United States and 45th world-wide.

The Arena opened January 9th of this year with a sold-out Brad Paisley concert. The string of sell-outs continued with George Strait with Reba, Elton John and Billy Joel, and Bon Jovi.

Chris Presson, SMG General Manager of INTRUST Bank Arena, said: “We’ve had an amazing response from the community for the concerts we’ve booked. When routing throughout the Midwest, Wichita is a market promoters can’t afford to overlook.”

INTRUST Bank Arena kicked off the second quarter of 2010 with another sold out show, Taylor Swift, on April 1.

The complete listing from Pollstar with total ticket sales are:
1. The O2 - London London, UNITED KINGDOM - 299,884
2. Madison Square Garden Arena New York, NY - 215,006
3. Color Line Arena Hamburg, GERMANY - 188,573
4. The Palace Of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, MI - 187,914
5. The O2 - Dublin Dublin, IRELAND - 170,922
6. Wembley Arena London, UNITED KINGDOM - 149,836
7. The Wachovia Center Philadelphia, PA - 149,289
8. Metro Radio Arena Newcastle upon Tyne, UK - 143,453
9. St. Pete Times Forum Tampa, FL - 139,674
10. Bell Centre Montreal, CANADA - 130,700
11. Sprint Center Kansas City, MO - 130,484
12. Philips Arena Atlanta, GA - 120,950
13. Air Canada Centre Toronto, CANADA - 118,060
14. Mediolanum Forum Assago, ITALY - 110,124
15. BankAtlantic Center Sunrise, FL - 94,791
16. San Diego Sports Arena San Diego, CA - 93,329
17. Acer Arena Sydney, AUSTRALIA - 91,190
18. O2 World Berlin, GERMANY - 90,026
19. Arena Monterrey Monterrey, MEXICO - 85,565
20. Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, CT - 83,920
21. Rose Garden Arena Portland, OR - 83,600
22. Vector Arena Auckland, NEW ZEALAND - 83,438
23. American Airlines Center Dallas, TX - 81,979
24. Van Andel Arena Grand Rapids, MI - 79,083
25. Ericsson Globe Stockholm, SWEDEN - 76,365
26. Staples Center Los Angeles, CA - 75,060
27. Lanxess Arena Cologne, GERMANY - 73,581
28. Hordern Pavilion Moore Park, AUSTRALIA - 72,661
29. Scotiabank Place Ottawa, CANADA - 69,813
30. SAP Arena Mannheim, GERMANY - 69,725
31. TD Garden Boston, MA - 67,235
32. Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, UK - 63,920
33. Olympiahalle Munich, GERMANY - 63,497
34. HP Pavilion At San Jose San Jose, CA - 61,510
35. Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN - 61,501
36. Toyota Center Houston, TX - 61,466
37. Verizon Center Washington, DC - 60,173
38. Mellon Arena Pittsburgh, PA - 59,940
39. Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, AUSTRALIA - 59,916
40. TUI Arena Hannover, GERMANY - 59,136
41. Forest National Brussels, BELGIUM - 58,934
42. New Orleans Arena New Orleans, LA - 55,383
43. KeyArena at Seattle Center Seattle, WA - 54,522
44. Cotai Arena At The Venetian Macau, CHINA - 53,078
45. INTRUST Bank Arena Wichita, KS - 52,592
46. Wiener Stadthalle Vienna, AUSTRIA - 51,993
47. The John Labatt Centre London, CANADA - 51,671
48. BJCC Arena Birmingham, AL - 51,457
49. Pepsi Center Denver, CO - 50,357
50. Brisbane Entertainment Centre Boondall, AUSTRALIA - 50,265

About INTRUST Bank Arena: INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita’s premier entertainment venue, is located in downtown Wichita. The Arena can seat more than 15,000 guests and hosts a variety of events including professional and collegiate sports, concerts, family shows and corporate functions. INTRUST Bank Arena is owned by Sedgwick County Government, and managed by SMG, the world leader in venue management, marketing and development.

About SMG: Since 1977, SMG has provided management services to more than 218 public assembly facilities including arenas, stadiums, theatres and performing arts centers, and convention, congress and exhibition centers. With facilities across the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Europe and the Middle East, SMG manages more than 11 million square feet (1.1 million square meters) of exhibition space, and over 1.5 million entertainment seats worldwide. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides construction and design consulting, pre-opening services, venue management, sales, marketing, event booking, and programming.

http://www.intrustbankarena.com/news.asp?id=10&pid=284&task=display&pcatid=

dmoor82
May 3rd, 2010, 02:20 AM
INTRUST BANK ARENA RANKS IN TOP 50 TICKET SALES IN THE WORLD.

(WICHITA, KS) – The SMG-managed INTRUST Bank Arena cracked Pollstar’s Top 50 Arena Venues worldwide for ticket sales during the first quarter of 2010. INTRUST Bank Arena ranked 22nd in the United States and 45th world-wide.

The Arena opened January 9th of this year with a sold-out Brad Paisley concert. The string of sell-outs continued with George Strait with Reba, Elton John and Billy Joel, and Bon Jovi.

Chris Presson, SMG General Manager of INTRUST Bank Arena, said: “We’ve had an amazing response from the community for the concerts we’ve booked. When routing throughout the Midwest, Wichita is a market promoters can’t afford to overlook.”

INTRUST Bank Arena kicked off the second quarter of 2010 with another sold out show, Taylor Swift, on April 1.

The complete listing from Pollstar with total ticket sales are:
1. The O2 - London London, UNITED KINGDOM - 299,884
2. Madison Square Garden Arena New York, NY - 215,006
3. Color Line Arena Hamburg, GERMANY - 188,573
4. The Palace Of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, MI - 187,914
5. The O2 - Dublin Dublin, IRELAND - 170,922
6. Wembley Arena London, UNITED KINGDOM - 149,836
7. The Wachovia Center Philadelphia, PA - 149,289
8. Metro Radio Arena Newcastle upon Tyne, UK - 143,453
9. St. Pete Times Forum Tampa, FL - 139,674
10. Bell Centre Montreal, CANADA - 130,700
11. Sprint Center Kansas City, MO - 130,484
12. Philips Arena Atlanta, GA - 120,950
13. Air Canada Centre Toronto, CANADA - 118,060
14. Mediolanum Forum Assago, ITALY - 110,124
15. BankAtlantic Center Sunrise, FL - 94,791
16. San Diego Sports Arena San Diego, CA - 93,329
17. Acer Arena Sydney, AUSTRALIA - 91,190
18. O2 World Berlin, GERMANY - 90,026
19. Arena Monterrey Monterrey, MEXICO - 85,565
20. Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, CT - 83,920
21. Rose Garden Arena Portland, OR - 83,600
22. Vector Arena Auckland, NEW ZEALAND - 83,438
23. American Airlines Center Dallas, TX - 81,979
24. Van Andel Arena Grand Rapids, MI - 79,083
25. Ericsson Globe Stockholm, SWEDEN - 76,365
26. Staples Center Los Angeles, CA - 75,060
27. Lanxess Arena Cologne, GERMANY - 73,581
28. Hordern Pavilion Moore Park, AUSTRALIA - 72,661
29. Scotiabank Place Ottawa, CANADA - 69,813
30. SAP Arena Mannheim, GERMANY - 69,725
31. TD Garden Boston, MA - 67,235
32. Manchester Evening News Arena Manchester, UK - 63,920
33. Olympiahalle Munich, GERMANY - 63,497
34. HP Pavilion At San Jose San Jose, CA - 61,510
35. Bridgestone Arena Nashville, TN - 61,501
36. Toyota Center Houston, TX - 61,466
37. Verizon Center Washington, DC - 60,173
38. Mellon Arena Pittsburgh, PA - 59,940
39. Rod Laver Arena Melbourne, AUSTRALIA - 59,916
40. TUI Arena Hannover, GERMANY - 59,136
41. Forest National Brussels, BELGIUM - 58,934
42. New Orleans Arena New Orleans, LA - 55,383
43. KeyArena at Seattle Center Seattle, WA - 54,522
44. Cotai Arena At The Venetian Macau, CHINA - 53,078
45. INTRUST Bank Arena Wichita, KS - 52,592
46. Wiener Stadthalle Vienna, AUSTRIA - 51,993
47. The John Labatt Centre London, CANADA - 51,671
48. BJCC Arena Birmingham, AL - 51,457
49. Pepsi Center Denver, CO - 50,357
50. Brisbane Entertainment Centre Boondall, AUSTRALIA - 50,265

About INTRUST Bank Arena: INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita’s premier entertainment venue, is located in downtown Wichita. The Arena can seat more than 15,000 guests and hosts a variety of events including professional and collegiate sports, concerts, family shows and corporate functions. INTRUST Bank Arena is owned by Sedgwick County Government, and managed by SMG, the world leader in venue management, marketing and development.

About SMG: Since 1977, SMG has provided management services to more than 218 public assembly facilities including arenas, stadiums, theatres and performing arts centers, and convention, congress and exhibition centers. With facilities across the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Europe and the Middle East, SMG manages more than 11 million square feet (1.1 million square meters) of exhibition space, and over 1.5 million entertainment seats worldwide. As the recognized global industry leader, SMG provides construction and design consulting, pre-opening services, venue management, sales, marketing, event booking, and programming.

http://www.intrustbankarena.com/news.asp?id=10&pid=284&task=display&pcatid=

^^^^This is great news for Wichita!but this is a ranking list of only concert generated revenue!this list does not include NBA/NHL home games,The NBA alone has 41 home dates in OKC,The Thunder averages 18k/game over 41 home games!plus The Ford Center concerts!so as great as this is for WHC(this is concert revenue only! not total turnstile count/revenue),other arenas that are MUCH larger in capacity and SQ FT than Intrust also have pro sports and have WAY more TOTAL revenue!I see that The leading #1 spot on this list has under 300k in total ticket sales,while NBA games alone for The Thunder in OKC gennerated(41 games times 18k)-thats just under 800,000 tix-and thats not counting concert ticket sales also!and this is just NBA games! not concert tix sold!but like I said this is great for WHC!imagine if Intrust wasnt built!!!!

Luke80
May 5th, 2010, 02:38 PM
Has this one slipped through the net on here? Moved to completed surely...

dmoor82
May 6th, 2010, 03:18 AM
Thanks for the kind words, man.

The Thunder is the only team playing there as of now. We had a absolutely horrid season this year(9-50-5), but we still managed to come in 2nd in the CHL in attendance at over 5,000+ per game.

The Shockers are planning on playing one game a season at the new arena, against an out of conference foe. Maybe Tulsa next year... We would love to have K-State or KU play us there... They won't though... lol

^^Dpruett? Thw WHC Thunder might be #1 in attenedance in the CHL this year!The OKC Blazers are NO MORE!OKC will have an AHL team this year.so it's between Tulsa and WHC for The attendance lead now!