History
The city-built Charlotte Coliseum opened in August 1988 off Billy Graham Parkway, just in time for the expansion Hornets. With more than 23,000 seats, it gave the new team enormous crowds and earned the nickname 'the Hive'.
Besides the Hornets, it housed the WNBA's Sting, arena football and UNC Charlotte basketball, and staged the 1994 Final Four.
The Hornets relocated to New Orleans in 2002. The expansion Bobcats spent one season there before moving to their new uptown arena in 2005. The Coliseum was imploded in June 2007, and the land has since become the City Park development.
Why it matters: Charlotte's first major-league arena, whose vast capacity defined the original Hornets' sellout era.
Timeline
- August 1986Groundbreaking[1]
Construction began on the arena southwest of uptown.
- August 11, 1988
Billy Graham dedicated the arena; Frank Sinatra performed there soon after.
- 1994Men's Final Four[1]
The Coliseum hosted the 1994 NCAA men's Final Four.
- 2002
The original Hornets franchise relocated after the 2001-02 season.
- October 26, 2005
A Bobcats preseason game against Indiana was the last game before the team moved uptown.
- June 3, 2007
The arena was imploded early on a Sunday morning; CST Environmental was the contractor per KHL.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2,3,4,5] |
|---|---|
| Current use | City Park mixed-use development (apartments, hotels, townhomes)[1,5] |
| Surviving remnants | A commemorative plaque near the front of City Park; Hive Drive and 'Coliseum Area' signs on Billy Graham Parkway (per Wikipedia)[1] |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Charlotte Hornets | NBA · 1988–2002 |
|---|---|
| Charlotte Sting | WNBA · 1997–2005 |
| Charlotte Bobcats | NBA · 2004–2005 |
| Charlotte 49ers | NCAA · 1988–1993 · tenant |
| Charlotte Rage | Arena Football League · 1992–1996 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | The Hive |
|---|---|
| Location | 100 Paul Buck Boulevard, off Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, North Carolina[1] |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball, Football, Hockey, Boxing & wrestling |
| Level | NBA, WNBA, NCAA, Arena Football League |
| Opened | August 11, 1988[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | October 26, 2005[1,4] |
| Demolished | June 3, 2007[1,2,3,4,5] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 23,388[1] |
| Final capacity | 23,319[1] |
| Capacity notes | Basketball 23,388 (1988-1989) to 23,319 (2004-2005); hockey 21,684. |
| Architect | Odell Associates[1] |
| Construction cost | $52 million[1] |
| Owner / operator | City of Charlotte (Charlotte Coliseum Authority)[1] |
| Closure | Replaced by the new uptown Charlotte Bobcats Arena (now Spectrum Center) after just 17 years. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Charlotte Coliseum (Wikipedia), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, events, opened, owner operator, remnants, teams
- Charlotte Coliseum Implosion (AP, June 3, 2007), KFVS12 / Associated Press. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished, opened
- Coliseum implosion (Mar. 19, 2008), KHL Group (Demolition & Recycling International). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: demolished, opened
- Charlotte Coliseum / Spectrum Center entry, The Clio. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, demolished
- It took 17 years, but final plans are settling in for old Charlotte Coliseum site (Charlotte Observer, Mar. 5, 2024), The Charlotte Observer (via Yahoo News). Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use, demolished
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (2)
- The Clio entry conflates the Coliseum with Spectrum Center (lists 333 East Trade Street) and contradicts itself on Bobcats tenancy; it is used only for the final-game date.
- Charlotte Rage tenure: 1992-1994 and 1996 vs 1992-96.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.