- Mark Price Arena
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The Mark Price Arena is a 2,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Enid, Oklahoma.
Outdoor view of Convention Hall, home of the Mark Price Arena.
Front view of Convention Hall.In addition to hosting concerts and high school sports, the arena was home to the Oklahoma Storm, a basketball team in the USBL. President George H. Bush spoke at the venue while campaigning in 1992. The Skeltur Conference Tournament was held at the arena from 1964 to 2009.[1] In May 2008, Enid Public Schools announced Enid’s basketball games would not be played at the arena, but at Mabee Center at Northern Oklahoma College Enid.[2] The facility is currently closed until it is able to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.[3] The Gateway Enid bond plan would have restored and renovated Mark Price Arena, as well as add additional recreational area and facilities to the downtown Enid area. However, the plan failed to pass on August 24, 2010.[4] Due to the narrow margin of failure, the city of Enid is still considering creating a new events center by demolishing or renovating Convention Hall and its neighboring Cherokee Strip Conference Center.[5] In September 2010, the City of Enid published a request for bids seeking for the demolition of Convention Hall.[6] [7] The city received 13 bids from companies across the nation, with costs ranging from 120,000 dollars to 696,800 dollars.[8]At the same time, a group calling itself Friends of Convention Hall was formed to seek alternatives other than demolition, such as a 15 million dollar renovation plan designed by Enid architect Ken Corbin.[9] In December 2010, represented by attorney Bryce Kennedy, the group presented a petition of 4,000 signatories in support of convention hall.[10]
History
Cornerstone reads "Dedicated to the memory of those who offered their services in the defense of this country."
Cornerstone of Convention Hall includes then mayor M.C. Garber's name, and the architectural firm Layton, Smith and Forsyth who designed the building.In 1919, Milton C. Garber, then mayor of Enid, and his commissioner aides, G. W. Pancoast and Jason W. Butts, proposed a bond issue for the construction of a building to memorialize the efforts of Garfield County soldiers in WWI.[11] Sealed bids were accepted until Sept. 1, 1919 on bonds of $250,000 for the construction of the convention hall.[12] [13] The building was constructed at a cost of $500,000 with an original capacity of 5,000[11]. It was designed by the architectural firm Layton, Smith and Forsyth and constructed by Bass and Frankenfield Builders. It served as a meeting place for the Enid Chamber of Commerce.[11] The hall served as a venue for stage productions including plays such as Hitchy-Koo and Al G. Field minstrel shows[11] and for musicians such as John Phillip Sousa, Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Bob Wills, and Fred Waring.[3]
The hall is four stories tall, has two balconies: the first of which holds 995 people and the second 667 people. The floor measures at 109 feet (33 m) long by 67 feet (20 m) wide, and can hold 600 people. The ceiling is 40 feet (12 m) high, and the stage measures at 37 feet (11 m) wide and nearly 30 feet (9.1 m) long.[14] The basketball arena in Convention Hall was renamed in 1993 to Mark Price Arena is named after basketball player Mark Price who played for Georgia Tech and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
References
- ^ http://enidnews.com/sportslocal/x1059038916/Skeltur-adjusts-to-new-site
- ^ http://enidnews.com/localnews/x518703755/No-sports-at-Mark-Price-Arena-Enid-police-deal-with-their-fair-share-of-issues
- ^ a b Lightsey, Eva, "A vision for MARK PRICE ARENA," Enid on the Move, June 2009.
- ^ Gateway Enid Bond issue narrowly fails, Enid News & Eagle August 24, 2010
- ^ Barron, Robert, "New events center back on city table", Enid News & Eagle, December 1, 2010.
- ^ Malan, Joe, "City to gather bids on razing Convention Hall, Enid News & Eagle, September 17, 2010
- ^ "DEMOLITION OF MARK PRICE ARENA/CONVENTION HALL M-1101D" Enid News & Eagle, September 13, 2010, Page 3b.
- ^ Malan, Joe, City of Enid opens 13 bids to demolish Convention Hall, Enid News & Eagle, October 1, 2010
- ^ Barron, Robert, "Convention Hall support group looks to find renovation alternative", Enid News & Eagle, September 8, 2010
- ^ Barron, Robert, "Petition opposes razing Enid’s Convention Hall", Enid News & Eagle, December 14, 2010
- ^ a b c d McKiddy, J.H., "ENID One of Oklahoma's Fairest and Most Progressive Cities", The Frisco Employes Magazine, September 1924
- ^ Municipal Journal & Public Works, Volume 47, No 8., page 28
- ^ Industrial employment survey bulletin, Volumes 1-2, United States Employment Service, page 20
- ^ http://www.csccenid.com/mpa.htm
External links
Coordinates: 36°23′37″N 97°52′47″W / 36.393736°N 97.879652°W
Categories:- Southern United States sports venue stubs
- Oklahoma building and structure stubs
- Indoor arenas in the United States
- Sports venues in Oklahoma
- Basketball venues in the United States
- Enid, Oklahoma
- Buildings and structures in Garfield County, Oklahoma
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