History
The Summit opened on November 1, 1975, and was home to the NBA's Houston Rockets for 28 seasons, as well as the WHA and later IHL/AHL Houston Aeros and the WNBA's Houston Comets. It hosted NBA Finals games in 1981, 1986, 1994 and 1995 and was renamed Compaq Center in 1998.
The arena closed on December 1, 2003. Lakewood Church, which had signed a 30-year lease in 2001, spent about $95 million converting it, reopening it as a church on July 16, 2005; the city sold the property to the church in 2010.
Why it matters: Home of the Houston Rockets' 1994 and 1995 NBA championship clinchers and of four Houston Comets WNBA titles.
Timeline
- November 1, 1975Arena opens[1]
The Summit opened in November 1975.
- 1994NBA Finals[1]
The Rockets played the deciding game of the 1994 NBA Finals at the Summit; it also hosted the 1981, 1986 and 1995 Finals.
- 1998Renamed Compaq Center[1]
The arena took the name Compaq Center.
- November 22, 2003Last concert[1]
A ZZ Top concert was the last event before conversion.
- December 1, 2003Closed as a sports arena[1]
The building closed as an arena.
- July 16, 2005Reopens as Lakewood Church[1]
After a $95 million renovation the building reopened as Lakewood Church.
The site today
| Physical status | Standing, repurposed |
|---|---|
| Current use | Lakewood Church's central campus, opened in the converted arena in July 2005[1] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Houston Aeros | WHA · 1975–1978 |
|---|---|
| Houston Rockets | NBA · 1975–2003 |
| Houston Aeros | WHA · 1994–2003 |
| Houston Comets | WNBA · 1997–2003 |
| Houston Summit | MISL · 1978–1980 · tenant |
| Houston ThunderBears | AFL · 1998–2000 · 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 | Compaq Center (1998–2003); Lakewood International Center (2003–2005); Lakewood Church Central Campus |
|---|---|
| Location | 3700 Southwest Freeway, Houston, Texas |
| Venue type | Arena |
| Sports | Basketball, Football, Hockey, Soccer |
| Level | NBA, WHA, IHL, AHL, WNBA |
| Opened | November 1, 1975[1] |
| Last used for sports | December 1, 2003[1] |
| Physical status | Standing, repurposed |
| Original capacity | 15,676[1] |
| Final capacity | 16,285[1] |
| Capacity notes | Basketball 15,676 (1975-1983) to 16,611 (1987-1995) and 16,285 (1995-2003); ice hockey 14,906 to 15,256. |
| Architect | Kenneth Bentsen Associates; Lloyd Jones Associates[1] |
| Construction cost | US$27 million[1] |
| Closure | The Rockets, Aeros and Comets moved to the new downtown Toyota Center; the city leased and later sold the building to Lakewood Church. |
Documented details
- The Houston Rockets played here from 1975 to 2003 and the Houston Comets won four WNBA championships here between 1997 and 2000.[1]
- In 2001 Lakewood Church signed a 30-year lease with the city, and on March 31, 2010, the Houston City Council voted 13-2 to sell the property to the church.[1]
- The first Royal Rumble shown on pay-per-view was held here on January 15, 1989.[1]
Sources
- Lakewood Church Central Campus, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, events, opened, teams
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Wikipedia's succession table lists the Rockets' tenancy as 1975-2002 while its infobox gives 1975-2003.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.