Nationwide Arena
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| Address |
200 West Nationwide Boulevard |
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| Location |
Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Coordinates |
 39°58'9.42?N 83°0'22.00?WCoordinates: 39°58'9.42?N 83°0'22.00?W |
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| Public transit |
  3, 6, 8, 9, 72, 74
 CoGo |
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| Owner |
Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority |
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| Operator |
Columbus Arena Management |
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| Capacity |
Basketball: 19,500
Concerts: 20,000
Ice hockey: 18,500 |
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| Construction |
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| Broke ground |
May 26, 1998[1] |
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| Opened |
September 9, 2000 |
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| Construction cost |
$175 million
($275 million in 2019 dollars[2]) |
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| Architect |
|
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| Project manager |
Miles-McClellan[3] |
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| Structural engineer |
Thornton Tomasetti[3] |
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| Services engineer |
M-E Engineers[3] |
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| General contractor |
Turner Construction[3] |
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| Main contractors |
Barton Malow[3] |
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| Tenants |
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Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL) (2000–present)
Columbus Landsharks (NLL) (2001–2003)
Columbus Destroyers (AFL) (2004–2008, 2019)
Ohio Junior Blue Jackets (USHL) (2006–2008)
Columbus Wild Dogs (IFL) (2022–) |
Nationwide Arena is a multipurpose arena in Columbus, Ohio, United States. Since completion in 2000, the arena has served as the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). It is one of two facilities in Columbus, along with Greater Columbus Convention Center, that hosts events during the annual Arnold Classic, a sports and fitness event hosted by actor, bodybuilder, and former Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger.
History[edit]
Nationwide Arena was built near the site of the former Ohio Penitentiary, which had an eastern border of West Street. The arena itself is built over the prison's former parking lot. The arena's parking lot and an apartment complex are built where the prison formerly stood. The arena was constructed in 2000.
On March 16, 2002, 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil was struck in the head by a deflected puck during the Blue Jackets' game against the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena. She died two days later, becoming the only NHL fan to be killed in a game-related accident. As a result of her death, the NHL mandated safety netting in all its arenas.
In May 2012, Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman made a pitch to the National Basketball Association (NBA) requesting an expansion or relocated team be moved to Nationwide Arena.[4]
Ownership[edit]
Arena bowl during a Blue Jackets game in 2007
The venue is named for the arena's original majority owner, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, whose world headquarters are located across the street. On March 30, 2012, arena owners Nationwide Insurance and the Dispatch Publishing Group sold the facility to the Franklin County Convention Facilities Authority (FCCFA). As part of the sale, Nationwide agreed to lend the FCCFA $43.3 million to finance the arena's purchase which will be paid back by 2039 with casino tax revenue collected by both the City of Columbus and Franklin County. In addition, the Ohio Department of Development agreed to a 10-year, $10 million loan to the FCCFA to assist with the facilities purchase. If the Blue Jackets meet annual roster payroll requirement, $500,000 of this loan per year will be forgiven. Nationwide Insurance will also pay the Blue Jackets $28 million to retain the arena's naming rights until 2022 as well as $58 million to purchase 30% ownership stake in the franchise. The Blue Jackets, in turn, agreed to remain in the city until 2039 or pay $36 million in damages.[5]
Management[edit]
While the Blue Jackets held sole operational control of the arena from 2000 to 2012, the team contracted day-to-day operations and event booking to venue management corporation SMG from the arena's opening until June 30, 2010. On May 12, 2010, the Blue Jackets announced that SMG would not be retained as arena managers and further announced that a one-year, annually renewable, management contract had been signed with The Ohio State University.[6] The contract called for the university to take over both day to day arena operations as well as booking non-athletic events, with the Blue Jackets booking athletic events and maintaining overall control of the arena.[7] This arrangement made Nationwide Arena a sister venue to OSU's on-campus arena, Value City Arena. The university started booking acts in May 2010 and assumed day to day control of the arena on July 1, 2010.[6] As part of the 2012 sale of Nationwide Arena, the Blue Jackets and OSU joined with Nationwide Insurance and the FCCFA to form Columbus Arena Management (CAM). Columbus Arena Management currently operates both Nationwide Arena and Value City Arena and oversees budgeting and event booking at both arenas.[5]
The arena is of a brick design and serves as the center of an entertainment district located about one-half of a mile north of the Ohio Statehouse. Seating capacity is approximately 18,500[8] for hockey, 17,171 for arena football, 19,500 for basketball, and up to 21,000 for concerts. The death of Brittanie Cecil from injuries sustained from a hockey puck flying into the stands at a Blue Jackets game on March 16, 2002 led to the installation of nylon netting to catch pucks that fly over the acrylic glass at all professional ice hockey arenas in the NHL, AHL, IIHF, and ECHL.
