Toyota Center
Toyota Center in 2011 | |
| Address | 1510 Polk Street |
|---|---|
| Location | Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 29°45′3″N 95°21′44″W / 29.75083°N 95.36222°W |
| Public transit | Bell |
| Owner | Harris County Houston Sports Authority |
| Operator | Clutch City Sports and Entertainment |
| Capacity | Concerts: 19,000 Basketball: 18,104 Hockey: 17,800 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 31, 2001 |
| Opened | October 6, 2003 |
| Construction cost | US$235 million ($402 million in 2024 dollars) |
| Architect | Populous (then HOK Sport) Morris Architects John Chase Architects |
| Structural engineer | Walter P Moore |
| Services engineer | Bovay Engineers, Inc. |
| General contractor | Hunt Construction Group |
| Tenants | |
| Houston Rockets (NBA) (2003–present) Houston Aeros (AHL) (2003–2013) Houston Comets (WNBA) (2004–2007) | |
| Website | |
| toyotacenter | |
Toyota Center is an indoor arena located in Houston, Texas, United States. It is named after the Japanese automobile manufacturer Toyota. The arena is home to the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and it was once the home of the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League (AHL), and the Houston Comets of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).
Rockets owner Leslie Alexander first began to request a new arena in 1995 and attempted to release the Rockets from their lease at The Summit, which ran until 2003. However, he was denied by arena owner Chuck Watson, then-owner of the Aeros, who also wanted control of a new arena. The two sides agreed to equal control over an arena in a deal signed in 1997, but the proposal was rejected by city voters in a 1999 referendum. It was not until the city and the Rockets signed an amended agreement in 2001, excluding the Aeros, that the proposal was accepted.
Construction began in July 2001, and the new arena was officially opened in October 2003. The total costs were $235 million, with the city of Houston paying the majority, and the Rockets paying for enhancements. Toyota paid US$100 million for the naming rights.