The Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida has hosted arena football, ice hockey, basketball, concerts, and a wide variety of other events. The Tampa Bay Lightning utilize it mostly as their home arena (National Hockey League).
Opened in 1996, it was first known as the Ice Palace. The naming rights to the arena were purchased in August 2002 by the St. Petersburg Times, which changed its name to the Tampa Bay Times in January 2012, such that the structure was first known as the St. Pete Times Forum (from 2002 to 2012) and then as the Tampa Bay Times Forum (from 2012 to 2014). The naming rights were sold to Amalie Oil Company in September 2014, and the arena was renamed Amalie Arena at that time.
After Tampa Coliseum Inc. failed to raise money to build an arena on Tampa Sports Authority land near Tampa Stadium, this area in Downtown Tampa’s Channelside District was picked as a backup plan. The venue’s construction and infrastructure cost $86 million (funded by the city of Tampa) and $53 million (paid by the Tampa Bay Lightning). In 1996, it first debuted to the public as the Ice Palace. The Royal Hanneford Circus was the opening act. Before that, the Lightning hosted the New York Rangers and triumphed 5-2.
The unavailability of a major league-sized arena in the Tampa Bay Area necessitated the construction of the arena, which will serve as the Lightning’s new home. The Bayfront Arena in St. Petersburg, the Expo Hall at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, and the USF Sun Dome on the campus of the University of South Florida in Tampa were the largest existing venues in the region that were best shaped for hockey.
Unfortunately, neither the 5,800-person capacity of Bayfront Arena nor the 10,425-person capacity of the Expo Hall were suitable for a long-term usage by an NHL franchise, and the Sun Dome would require major upgrades in order to accommodate hockey (which after renovations would then only have an estimated capacity in the mid-7,000s for hockey, making it too small as well).
The Lightning played at the St. Petersburg Expo Hall for one season before relocating to the Florida Suncoast Dome (renamed the “Thunderdome”) in 1993, a year before the opening of the Ice Palace. When the Tampa Bay Rays play at their new stadium, Tropicana Field, it was formerly known as the Thunderdome.
Hillsborough County owns the arena and rents it out to the Tampa Sports Authority. The Lightning lease the facility back from the authority and are responsible for its operation. Because to the terms of the existing lease, the arena can only be used by the Lightning.
Ybor City
Tampa Turf and Artificial Grass
