Androscoggin Bank Colisee

Infobox_Stadium
stadium_name = Adroscoggin Bank Colisee
nickname = Colisee


location = Lewiston, Maine
broke_ground = 1956
opened = 1958 to 1959
owner = City of Lewiston
operator = Global Spectrum
construction_cost= $1 million, with renovations $5 million
architect = Unknown
former_names= Central Maine Youth Center (1958–1989) Central Maine Civic Center (1989–2004) Colisee (2004-2006)
tenants=Lewiston Maineiacs (QMHJL) (2003-present)
Lewiston High School (PTL) (1989-2004)
seating_capacity = 3,500 (hockey)

Androscoggin Bank Colisee is an ice arena in Lewiston, Maine. It was built in 1958 as the Central Maine Youth Center. It was the site of the 1965 fight between Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali.

History

The Central Maine Youth Center was built in 1958-1959 to replace St. Dominics Regional High. In 1965, it was the venue for the Heavyweight Boxing Championship rematch between Sonny Liston and Muhammad Ali in which Ali beat Liston in under three minutes. In the 1970s, the Nordiques became the professional ice hockey team for the city of Lewiston, Maine for four years.

In 1989, the Portland Diocese sold the Central Maine Civic Center to Roger Theriault and Frank Corrao for $100,000; they were unable to get the original $700,00 asking price.

In 2003, The Lewiston Maineiacs, who captured the President's Cup for the first time in 2006, came to the Central Maine Civic Center with a promise that the arena would be renovated. Soon the City of Lewsiton bought the building for $250,000 and carried the $4.7 million debt, it was soon renamed to Lewiston Colisee, which was again changed to the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Current status

In 2007, the "Sun Journal" published concerns about the Lewiston Colisee — its high debt with renovations still needed; and it's small capacity, with seating for only 3,500 spectators, which limits the Colisee's utility.