For nearly two decades the Orlando Magic played at Amway Arena. When it opened in 1989, it was one of the premier arenas in the NBA. However, since that time the economic landscape of the NBA changed as nearly every team moved into a new arena that included luxury suites and club seats. This led the Magic ownership to pursue the construction of a new arena for the team. In December 2007 they unveiled plans to construct a new arena in downtown Orlando along Church and Hughey Streets. The $480 million arena was financed by the Magic contributing $50 million, the city paying for the land and infrastructure, and bonds from Orange County. Amway decided to continue its partnership with the team and purchased the naming rights to the new arena in August 2009 for $40 million over 10 years.
FACTS & FIGURES
-Opened: 10/28/2010
-Capacity: 18,500
-Tenants: Orlando Magic (NBA)
-Cost: $480 million
-Architect: Populus
-Address: 400 W. Church St., Orlando, FL 32801
-Former Name(s): None
Seating Chart
The Orlando Magic will play their first game at Amway Center on October 28, 2010 against the Washington Wizard. It has a larger seating capacity than the Amway Arena with 18,500 seats. The Amway Center has three seating levels, the lower, club/suite and upper level. Magic fans can find many amenities here as it has 56 luxury suites, 10 specialty suites and four restaurants. Perhaps the most unique feature of the Amway Center is the main 20,000 square foot entrance to the arena that features a 151 foot tall glass tower. It hosted the 2012 NBA All-Star Game.
History of the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic are a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The team was founded in 1989 and is a member of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Magic have a relatively short history compared to some of the other franchises in the league, but they have still managed to establish themselves as a competitive team with a dedicated fanbase.
In the early years of the Magic’s existence, the team struggled to find success on the court. Despite this, the team managed to rebuild and retool its roster, led by talented players such as Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, and Nick Anderson. With this new talent in place, the Magic quickly became a force to be reckoned with and made several deep playoff runs.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Magic faced a period of transition as some of its key players left the team. Despite this, the Magic managed to rebuild and retool its roster once again, led by talented players such as Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill, and Dwight Howard. With this new talent in place, the Magic returned to championship contention and made several deep playoff runs.
In recent years, the Magic have undergone a period of rebuilding and have developed a talented young roster, led by players such as Markelle Fultz, Evan Fournier, and Nikola Vucevic. The team has also hired a new head coach, Steve Clifford, who has a strong track record of success and is expected to bring a new level of competitiveness to the team.