The Utica Memorial Auditorium was conceived by then-Utica mayor John T. McKennan, who believed that the city needed a place for entertainment and sporting events.[1] McKennan and the administration that he hired to plan out the process, led by Frank M. Romano, then hired Gilbert Seltzer, a well-known architect, to draw up plans for the building.[1] A site was found along the old Erie Canal, and groundbreaking took place April 15, 1957. The arena was constructed using the world's first pre-stressed dual cable roof system, designed by Lev Zetlin (who would later partner with architect Philip Johnson to construct both the New York State Pavilion "Tent of Tomorrow" seen at the 1964 World's Fair[6] and the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, also located in Utica, NY[7]) with "struts" between the cables.[4] John A. Roebling's Sons Company developed the tensioning method for the project.[8][9] Zetlin's design became the predecessor to the many modern dome designs seen today, and has since influenced many other tensile structures including Madison Square Garden.[10][11][12] Seltzer would take the most pride in constructing "The Aud", saying, "This was the first successful use of cables for a roof structure."
"The Aud" was also one of the first stadiums to have telescopic seats. Telescopic bleachers (the bleachers pulled out from below higher levels) were common in stadiums, but Zetlin requested more comfortable seating for the arena.[13]
Work continued through 1958 and into 1959. When the auditorium was finally completed, it became one of just three arenas built without obstructed views.[14] The arena opened on March 13, 1960, with the Greater Utica Industrial Exposition its first event, running three evenings from March 16–19. 96 exhibitors took part in the presentation which drew an attendance of some 45,000.[15] In 1962, it hosted the NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Championship (AKA the "Frozen Four"). In 2017, the arena hosted the Division III "Frozen Four".[16]
Scenes from the 1977 filmSlap Shot starring Paul Newman were shot at the auditorium. The original center-hung scoreboard, as seen in the movie, was unusual in that the game time was kept by a digital clock, while the penalty time was kept by analog clocks. This was eventually replaced by a center-hung scoreboard designed by Eversan, which includes a one-line messageboard. "The Aud" also held a Santana concert on February 22, 1973 during their Caravanserai Tour, their only concert in Utica, and the arena has the distinction of being the location of one of the last scheduled Elvis Presley concerts. The concert was scheduled to be on Friday, August 19, 1977, three days after Presley's death on August 16.
Interior of the Utica Memorial Auditorium during a game between Lake Erie Monsters and Utica Comets on December 15, 2013
On June 14, 2013, it was announced that the Peoria Rivermen, the AHL farm team of the National Hockey League's Vancouver Canucks would be relocating to the Utica Memorial Auditorium for the 2013–14 season as the Utica Comets.[18] As the AHL has a strong presence in Western and Central New York State, the league agreed to the move, citing the move would further boost the league's strength in the Northeast while further cutting down on travel expenses. On October 23, 2013, the Comets played at "The Aud", losing 4–1 to the Albany Devils in front of a sold out crowd.[19]Frank Corrado scored the first Comet goal on home ice.
In recent years, "The Aud" has earned high rankings from hockey circles, earning the #8 spot in "The 10 Coolest Hockey Rinks in the World" list by Complex Magazine,[20] the #8 rank for best AHL arena by Stadium Journey,[21] and #4 in the Pure Hockey Blog's list of the top 6 places to skate for hockey.[22]
Photos and renderings of the Utica Memorial Auditorium are on permanent display at New York's Museum of Modern Art. The museum's collection honors the auditorium as an architectural landmark.[23][24]
On September 27, 2017, the Upper Mohawk Valley Memorial Auditorium Authority announced a 10-year naming rights deal with locally based Adirondack Bank, amending the official name of "The Aud" to Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.[5]
In November 2017, work was completed on the 26,000-square-foot expansion that added a new entrance, a half-dozen executive suites, a new women's bathroom, a building-wide sprinkler system and other amenities to the facility. The $10.55 million project was fully funded by the state.[25] A restaurant named "72 Tavern & Grill" was constructed on existing foundation on the West side of the facility that supported underground areas of the Aud. The "72" is in honor of the 72 cables that have held up the roof of the Adirondack Bank Center for more than 50 years.[26]
On June 13, 2018, Mohawk Valley Garden CEO Rob Esche and Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) commissioner Joshua Schaub, along with other officials, announced that Utica will field a professional indoor soccer team — called Utica City Football Club, or UCFC for short — that will play home games at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium beginning with the 2018–19 season.[27] The team had previously been known as the Syracuse Silver Knights.
The Nexus Canter, a new sports facility adjacent to the Aud and connected to it via an indoor walkway, was completed in 2022.[28] It includes three playing spaces that can used for ice hockey or turf sports such as indoor soccer. The largest of these, having 1,200 seats, a Jumbotron screen, and multiple luxury boxes, is the home venue for the Utica University women's ice hockey team, the Utica Junior Comets, and the Utica Yeti Lacrosse team as of 2024[update].[29][30] In 2023, Utica University purchased its naming rights, rebranding it the Utica University Nexus Center.[31]
The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) held a five day evaluation camp at the Nexus Centre in December 2023 ahead of its inaugural season; all six PWHL teams participated.[32] The 2024 IIHF Women's World Championship was held at the Adirondack Bank Center and Nexus Center from the 4th to 14th of April, with Canada winning the gold.[33][34] The 2024 World Lacrosse Box Championships were held at the Adirondack Bank Center and Nexus Center between September 20 and 29 2024. Canada won the Men's Championship, while the United States won the Women's championship.[35]
High school sports
In addition to its regular season high school hockey games, the Utica Memorial Auditorium hosted the New York State Ice Hockey semi-finals and finals every year from its inception to the 2015 Championships. In August 2015, NYSPHSAA announced it would be moving the state tournament to Buffalo's HarborCenter. On March 9–10, 1973, Utica Memorial Auditorium hosted the 11th NYSPHSAA state wrestling tournament. The annual tournament has not returned to Utica since.[36]
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