29°40′52″N 95°24′20″W / 29.68111°N 95.40556°W / 29.68111; -95.40556

NRG Arena
Exterior of venue (c.2011)
Full nameNRG Arena at NRG Park
Former namesAstroarena (1974-2000)
Reliant Arena (2000–14)
Address1 NRG Park
Houston, TX 77054-1574
LocationNRG Park
OwnerHarris County Sports and Convention Corporation
OperatorSMG
Capacity8,000
Construction
OpenedFebruary 14, 1974 (1974-02-14)
ArchitectLloyd Jones & Associates
Main contractorsPence Construction Company
Tenants
Houston Angels (WBL) (1978-80)
Houston Hotshots (WISL) (1999-2000)
Rice Owls (NCAA) (2007-08)
Houston Comets (WNBA) (2008)
Website
Venue Info

The NRG Arena[1] (formerly the Astroarena and Reliant Arena),[2] is a 350,000 square feet (33,000 m2) sports center in NRG Park, in Houston, Texas, USA.

Building format

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The main partition on the first floor is the "Arena Proper", a 24,000 gross square foot arena that seats up to 8,500 people.

In addition to the Arena Proper, there are four exhibit halls within the NRG Arena. The largest hall is Exhibit Hall D, boasting 100,000 square feet (10,000 m2) of space. The second is Exhibit Hall A, which has 75,000 square feet (7,000 m2) of space. Exhibit Halls B and C each have 50,000 square feet (5,000 m2) of floor space as well.

The upper level maintains smaller meeting rooms and office space as well as the "Stockman's Club".

History

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Aerial photograph of the Astrodomain area by Carol M. Highsmith, c.1999. The round Astrodome is prominent; just to its south is the trefoil-shaped Astrohall, and the Astroarena is just east of the Astrohall

Construction of the Astroarena was completed in 1974 adjacent to the Astrohall. Although the Astrohall (renamed Reliant Hall temporarily) was demolished in May 2002 to make way for a parking lot when NRG Stadium was being completed. Astroarena was renamed to Reliant Arena in 2000 when Reliant Energy bought the sponsorship of the facility.

The Arena has since been utilized for several other events, including the National Catholic Youth Conference in 2003 and the peripheral events of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

After previously occupying the Compaq Center from 1998 to 2000, the PBR held a Bud Light Cup event in Reliant Arena in 2001; this was their last big-league event in Houston to date.

In 1993, World Championship Wrestling held their Fall Brawl. Furthermore, the WWE hosted the March 31, 2005 episode of Smackdown.

In 2005, the Arena was used as auxiliary housing and a field clinic for residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina after it was deemed that the Reliant Astrodome would be insufficient for comfortably housing over 30,000 residents.

On July 16, 2007, the arena played host to the first indoor stop on the 2007 Vans Warped Tour.

On July 13, 2008, the arena hosted Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's Victory Road event.[3]

Reliant Arena became the home of the Women's National Basketball Association's Houston Comets for what proved to be their final season, 2008.[4]

On March 12, 2014, the arena was renamed as the NRG Arena, after the sponsor, Reliant Energy, had been acquired and absorbed into NRG Energy.

References

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  1. ^ "Upcoming Events – HCHSA | Harris County Houston Sports Authority". 15 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Letters". Rocky Mountain News. Denver. November 12, 2000.
  3. ^ "TNA Victory Road Results (7/13) - Ultimate X, Joe vs. Booker!". 13 July 2008.
  4. ^ "Comets moving to Reliant". Houston Chronicle. 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2008-07-13.
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Preceded by Home of the
Houston Comets

2008
Succeeded by
none
Preceded by Host of Victory Road
2008
Succeeded by