Van Andel Arena is a mid-sized arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The arena is located on 130 West Fulton Street in downtown, and holds approximately 12000 people. The Van Andel is home to the Grand Rapids Hoops of the Continental Basketball League, the Grand Rapids Rampage of the Arena Football League, and the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL
The arena started construction in 1995, and opened to the public on October 8, 1996. The arena is named after the largest benefactors of the project, Jay and Betty Van Andel (founders of the Amway corporation). The building's interior is a horseshoe shape, making the building more friendly as a concert venue, but reducing the overall number of seats. The exterior design of the building received a lot of attention, with a large glass facade over the guest entrance. The design of the building was such a success that the magazine Amusement Business rated the Van Andel the best mid-size arena three years straight after the facility opened.
The Van Andel was the first step in a larger plan to renovate downtown Grand Rapids. Many buildings around the area were renovated, and many new construction projects began. Among these are the nearby DeVos Place, which will finish construction in 2004.
Resources:
http://www.vanandelarena.com/
http://jobs.michigan.org/