History:
From its planning inception in 1988 and eventual opening in June of 1992, Talking Stick Resort Arena (formerly US Airways Center, as of October 2015) was the benchmark for other cities and other sports facilities.
Its design boasted innovations that had not been seen in arenas of its day including multi-story suite levels, attached premium parking facilities, and integrated team practice facility. Both public and private critics saw Talking Stick Resort Arena as a catalytic project capable of stimulating urban growth.
In its ï¬rst full year of operation, the originally named America West Arena received every award a new venue of its kind was afforded, including Best New Concert Venue by Performance Magazine and Best NBA Facility by acclaim of those who know best, the players themselves.
Through the course of the ’90s, new facilities around the country followed the example of Talking Stick Resort Arena and new projects sprung up in nearly all the major western state metropolitan areas: Denver, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City and in 1999, Los Angeles and Dallas with dramatic new STAPLES Center and American Airlines Center. Technology changed, entertainment options proliferated and the city’s emerging new downtown continued to evolve in positive ways.
