Dunkin' Donuts Center Informations

The Dunkin' Donuts Center (originally Providence Civic Center) is an indoor arena located in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It was built in 1972, as a home court for the emerging Providence College men's basketball program, due to the high demand for tickets to their games in Alumni Hall, as well as for a home arena for the then-Providence Reds, who played in the nearly 50-year-old Rhode Island Auditorium. Current tenants include the Providence Bruins, of the AHL and the Providence College men's basketball team.

The idea for a Civic Center in Providence had been proposed as early as 1958, on the site of what later became the Providence Place Mall. The project was proposed as a joint federal-state-city project, which would create jobs and bring economic benefits. However, the plan failed due to the inability to secure federal funds.

The plan was revived again as a statewide bond issue in the 1968 general election; voters outside of Providence soundly defeated the referendum. Finally, mayor Joseph A. Doorley Jr. pushed through a citywide special referendum in 1969, which passed. When this amount proved to be inadequate, Doorley pushed through another referendum in 1971, which also passed. The project became so closely associated with Mayor Doorley that it was referred to in the press as "Doorley's Dream."

The Providence Civic Center was constructed in 1972 on the site of an old jewelry factory. The opening ceremony was held November 3, 1972, with a Providence Reds hockey game. President Richard Nixon, campaigning in the area, was invited to the attend the opening, but he declined. In its first year, the center hosted concerts by Pink Floyd and Frank Sinatra, as well as hockey games and political rallies, and was considered a success.

In October 1974, Civic Center director Harold Copeland was convicted of soliciting a $1,000 bribe from a concert promoter. The conviction, occurring a month before election day, thrust prosecutor Vincent Cianci into the Mayor's office and ended Doorley's political career.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Civic Center fell into decline; it required city bailouts and was seen as a financial problem. The Rhode Island Convention Center and adjacent Omni Providence Hotel (then named the "Westin") were completed next door to the Civic Center in 1993 in an attempt to lure visitors to the city.

In 2001, as a means of increasing financing, the arena was named the Dunkin' Donuts Center as part of a naming-rights deal with Dunkin' Donuts. In December 2005, the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority purchased the building from the city of Providence and spent $80 million on an extensive renovation. Major elements of the construction included a significantly expanded lobby and concourse, an enclosed pedestrian bridge from the Rhode Island Convention Center, a new center-hung LED video display board, a new restaurant, 20 luxury suites, four new bathrooms, and all-new seats with cupholders in the arena bowl. Behind-the-scenes improvements included a new HVAC system, ice chiller, and a first-of-its-kind fire suppression system. These renovations were completed in October 2008.

The Grateful Dead recorded half of their live album, entitled Dick's Picks Volume 12, here on June 26, 1974.

Rock Band Queen also performed several times 1977,1978 and 1980.

Former Beatle George Harrison held a concert here on December 11, 1974, during his "Dark Horse Tour" (so called because it occurred near the launch of Harrison's Dark Horse Records). Performers included Harrison, Ravi Shankar, Jim Keltner, and Billy Preston. At one point in the show, a girl tried to climb onstage, but was stopped and assaulted by police; Harrison stopped mid-song and shouted "Krishna! Krishna!".

Some of the songs on the Eric Clapton album E. C. Was Here were recorded live at the Civic Center, on June 25, 1975.

The arena played host to The Rolling Thunder Revue Tour on November 4, 1975, headed by Bob Dylan.

The Who played here on December 13, 1975.

Elvis Presley performed there three times – once each in 1974, 1976, and 1977.

Frank Sinatra performed 10 times at the then-Providence Civic Center. His first was to a sold-out crowd including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for his Variety Club International Tour on April 15, 1974 and the last on October 3, 1992. During many of Sinatra's performances, Rhode Island State Police would attend, searching for organized crime members in the audience. During a 1979 appearance in Providence, Mayor Buddy Cianci named Sinatra an honorary fire chief, complete with a helmet bearing the name "F. SINATRA" with nickname "Ol' Blue Eyes" beneath.

David Bowie's concert on May 5, 1978 was one of three recorded for his live album Stage.

The Bee Gees performed two sold-out concerts here on August 28–29, 1979 as part of their Spirits Having Flown Tour.

The Kinks recorded much of their live album and video, One for the Road at the Civic Center September 23, 1979.

In 1979, Providence mayor Buddy Cianci cancelled a concert at the Civic Center by the rock band The Who. Cianci cancelled the performance after hearing about a Who concert in Cincinnati earlier that month where 11 fans had been trampled to death. 33 years later, the band returned to Providence and announced they would honor any tickets from the 1979 show. Ten fans, now middle-aged, traded in 14 tickets to see the performance.

In 1979 Kiss scheduled a show on their Dynasty Tour for August 1, 1979, and a second show was added for July 31, 1979 when the first date sold out. Both were threatened with cancellation by Cianci in light of The Who situation and a stabbing at a Bad Company concert ten days prior to the first date. After controversy, which included rock fans picketing the Cianci's home, the shows were allowed and Cianci attended the first night's performance to observe.

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