The International Amphitheatre was an
indoor arena located in
Chicago,
Illinois, that opened in 1934 and was demolished in 1999. It was located on the west side of
Halsted Street, at 42nd Street, on the city's south side, in the
Canaryville neighborhood, adjacent to the
Union Stock Yards.
History
The venue opened on November 30, 1934.[5] It had been built for $1.5 million by the Stock Yard company and was principally built to host the International Livestock Exhibition.[5][2] The arena replaced
Dexter Park, a horse-racing track that had stood on the site for over 50 years until its destruction by fire on April 18, 1934.[2] The completion of the Amphitheatre ushered in an era where Chicago reigned as a convention capital. In an era before
air conditioning and space for the press and broadcast media were commonplace, the International Amphitheatre was among the first arenas to be equipped with these innovations.
The Stock Yards closed in 1971, but the Amphitheatre remained open,[5] hosting rock concerts, college basketball and
IHSA playoff games, circuses, religious gatherings, and other events.[citation needed] The shift of many conventions and trade shows to the more modern and more conveniently-located lakefront
McCormick Place convention center, during the 1960s and 1970s, began the International Amphitheatre's decline, which continued with the opening of other convention and concert venues in the suburbs drawing more events away. By the 1980s, the venue was struggling due to competition from large facilities such as the
Chicago Stadium,
Rosemont Horizon,
Arie Crown Theater,
Alpine Valley Music Theatre,
Holiday Star Theatre,
UIC Pavilion, and the renovated
Chicago Theatre.[5]
In the late 1970s, developer
Harry Chaddick proposed replacing the arena with a large
shopping center, but these plans were killed after Mayor
Michael Bilandic revoked his support for the project after residents and politicians of the
Canaryville and
Bridgeport neighborhoods complained that such a development would attract both intense vehicular traffic and draw over the residents from nearby
Chicago Housing Authority projects.[5]
After an automobile swap show in March 1983, the venue closed its doors. This was widely seen as an end for the venue. It was sold to new ownership for a mere $250,000 and sat dormant for three years. During plans were floated to convert the venue into a
sound stage.[5] However, on November 28, 1987, the International Amphitheatre reopened with a game by the
Loyola Ramblers college basketball team, who became tenants of the reopened Amphitheatre. Some repairs and improvements had been made to the facility.[5][6] A greater $5 million renovation was planned at the time of its reopening, and it was intended that Loyola basketball would remain tenants of the venue for at least five years.[6] However, for their 1989 season, Loyola had moved to the Rosemont Horizon after the Amphitheatre proved to be an unsatisfactory home venue to the team. The team had faced attendance as low as 500 spectators while playing at the facility.[7]
The sprawling venue was difficult to maintain and struggled to attract enough large events to pay for its own upkeep. It was eventually sold to promoters Cardenas & Fernandez and then the City of Chicago, which had no more success at attracting events than its previous owner. In August 1999, demolition of the International Amphitheatre began.[8] An
Aramark Uniform Services plant is located on the site once occupied by the Amphitheatre.
The
1952 Republican National Convention had the distinction of being the first political convention broadcast live by television coast to coast, with special studio facilities provided for all the major networks.[9]
Televised boxing and wrestling events were held at the venue for decades, making it a well-known venue across the United States.[5] In December 1981,
Joe Frazier had his final boxing match at the Amphitheatre against
Floyd Cummings, which resulted in a draw.
The arena, which seated 9,000, was the first home of the
Chicago Packers of the
NBA during
1961–62, before changing their name to the
Chicago Zephyrs and moving to the
Chicago Coliseum for their second season.[10] It was also the home of the
Chicago Bulls during their inaugural season of
1966–67; they also played only one game in the Chicago Coliseum, a playoff game in their first season, as no other arena was available for a game versus the
St. Louis Hawks. Afterwards, the Bulls then moved permanently to Chicago Stadium, where they remained until
1994, when they moved to their current home court at the
United Center.
The Amphitheatre was also the primary home of the
Chicago Cougars of the
WHA from
1972 to
1975. It was originally intended to be only a temporary home for the Cougars, but the permanent solution, the Rosemont Horizon, was not completed until 1980, five years after the team folded and a year after the WHA ceased operation. The International Amphitheatre was the home for Chicago's
wrestling scene for years as well as the
Chicago Auto Show for approximately 20 years beginning in the 1940s.[11][8]
Strangely enough, on December 30, 1962 and January 5, 1964, the Chicago Amphitheatre hosted The Southside WinterNationals INDOOR Drag Races. With the smooth concrete floors, Drivers reported it was like racing on ice. It was also reported that after the first races, cases of Coca Cola syrup were brought in, poured on the floor and allowed to dry overnight. Drivers like Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick, and Mr. Norm from Grand Spaulding Dodge later admitted the syrup did little to help traction. Staging was outside in the Chicago - January cold. Drivers did as many as 5 "burnouts" just to heat the rear tires. The shutdown area involved a sharp turn and wall that claimed more than a few of the entries.
The Loyola Ramblers basketball team were tenants of the venue during their 1987–88 and 1988–89 seasons,[5][7] but faced poor attendance at the aging facility.[7]
Formerly the Chicago Packers (1961–1962), Chicago Zephyrs (1962–1963), Baltimore Bullets (1963–1973), Capital Bullets (1973–1974), and Washington Bullets (1974–1997)