Lakewood Arena
Encyclopedia
Lakewood Arena is a planned 7,400-seat multi-purpose arena
in Bradenton, Florida
. While preliminary construction has been done, developer DVA Sports has had financial and technical problems completing the arena. The arena was to be home to the Gulf Coast Swords
ECHL
ice hockey
team. However, due to the years of delays, including an almost 2-year hiatus in construction, the ECHL
terminated the Swords franchise in September 2006. As of November 2008, only 3 walls are standing and the property has been foreclosed on and is awaiting its fate. DVA Sports has managed to have foreclosure auctions postponed twice by making interest payments on their debt.
The current structure may have to be torn down before construction can be restarted.
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton, Florida
Bradenton is a city in Manatee County, Florida, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's 2007 population to be 53,471. Bradenton is the largest Principal City of the Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2007 estimated population of 682,833...
. While preliminary construction has been done, developer DVA Sports has had financial and technical problems completing the arena. The arena was to be home to the Gulf Coast Swords
Gulf Coast Swords
The Gulf Coast Swords were a planned expansion team of the ECHL. Due to years of delays in the construction of Lakewood Arena in Bradenton, Florida, the ECHL terminated the franchise in September 2006, more than two years after the franchise was supposed to begin play...
ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team. However, due to the years of delays, including an almost 2-year hiatus in construction, the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
terminated the Swords franchise in September 2006. As of November 2008, only 3 walls are standing and the property has been foreclosed on and is awaiting its fate. DVA Sports has managed to have foreclosure auctions postponed twice by making interest payments on their debt.
New Owners
The uncompleted building was sold April 21, 2009 at foreclosure auction to Schroeder-Manatee Ranchone, one of the property's lien holders. SMR, who was the only bidder, paid $100.The current structure may have to be torn down before construction can be restarted.