Asheville Civic Center
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The Asheville Civic Center is a 7,654-seat multi-purpose arena in Asheville, North Carolina. It was home to the Asheville Altitude basketball team in the NBDL before the franchise moved to Tulsa in 2005 and the United Hockey League's Asheville Smoke and also the SPHL's Asheville Aces. The venue also hosted WCW SuperBrawl 1993, WCW Monday Nitro where the famed nWo wreaked havoc over the Ric Flair led horsemen and Fall Brawl 1995 as well as the 1999 and 2000 Big South Conference men's basketball tournament. Commencement exercises for the University of North Carolina at Asheville were last held in the venue in 1999.
The city of Asheville and State of North Carolina have been pressured by many in the community to replace or renovate the aging Civic Center with more modern facilities. This debate has been going on for years, with no apparent end. Asheville city council recently passed a measure funding basic maintenance[1], and has earmarked $1.5 million for the implementation of a "living roof" to replace the aging conventional roof[2].
The ultimate path for the Civic Center is still unclear. A complete renovation is still an option. The most popular proposals from the community are to tear down and rebuild in the same location, or to rebuild in an area south of city hall, at the Biltmore Square Mall site, or near the Western North Carolina Agriculture Center.
