Holland Civic Center

The Holland Civic Center Place is a multi-purpose event venue in Holland, Michigan, United States. The City of Holland also refers to the building as the George and Lucile Heeringa Holland Civic Center. Located at 150 West 8th Street in downtown Holland, the facility is used for sporting events, recreation programs, concerts, theatrical productions, exhibitions, meetings, community events and private functions.

The Civic Center opened in 1954 and served as the home court of the Hope College men's basketball team from the 1954–55 season through 2004–05. The building underwent a major renovation in 2017 and 2018. City documents list its present capacity as up to 1,450 people for sporting events and up to 2,000 for concerts or receptions.

History

Site and construction Before construction of the Civic Center, the site at 150 West 8th Street was occupied by the Cappon & Bertsch Leather Company. The tannery was established by Isaac Cappon, Holland's first mayor, and John Bertsch. A plant was constructed on the site in 1864 and was destroyed in the Holland fire of 1871, after which the business rebuilt.

The tannery was dissolved in 1926 and its buildings were demolished the following year. The site remained vacant for several years. After proposals for a community recreation and civic facility, the City of Holland purchased the property from the Armour Company for $10,800 in 1941. World War II delayed development of the site, and a $500,000 bond for the Civic Center project was issued in 1952.

Construction began in 1953. The building cost $616,000 and opened in 1954. According to the city's historic-preservation account, the first basketball game in the new facility matched the Harlem Globetrotters against a local all-star team and drew a standing-room-only crowd of approximately 2,700.

Hope College basketball Hope College began playing its men's basketball home games at the Civic Center during the 1954–55 season. The college had previously played at the Holland Armory, having moved its men's home games off campus in 1929–30.

Hope remained at the Civic Center through the 2004–05 season before moving to the newly constructed DeVos Fieldhouse for 2005–06. In its final season at the Civic Center, Hope led NCAA Division III men's basketball in average home attendance for the third consecutive season and for the seventh time overall. The team averaged 2,462 spectators over 13 home games that season.

Hope College records describe the Civic Center as its men's basketball home for 52 seasons. The program recorded only two losing home seasons there during that period.

Civic Center Place and Heeringa naming During planning for a redevelopment of the property, the project came to be known as Civic Center Place. A 2016 City of Holland news release explained that the term reflected a broader project involving the Civic Center and two adjacent city blocks, with plans for public-event space, recreation, community meetings and the Holland Farmers Market.

In January 2016, the city identified James P. and Eileen Heeringa as the donors of a $2 million lead gift toward the renovation. The Heeringas requested that the building be named in honor of James Heeringa's parents, George and Lucile Heeringa. The city announced that the building would be named for them when the renovated facility opened. The city's current general-information page identifies it as the George and Lucile Heeringa Holland Civic Center.

2017–2018 renovation The city began an extensive renovation of the Civic Center in 2017. The project expanded and modernized the venue while retaining its use as a flexible community and event facility.

On August 2, 2017, while renovation work was underway, a section of ceiling near an entrance collapsed. One employee of a subcontractor was killed and another worker was injured.

The completed redevelopment cost approximately $16.5 million. City historic-preservation materials describe the renovated Civic Center as containing more than of space. Additions and improvements included an east lobby and viewing tower, an indoor farmers-market area, expanded office space, a full-service kitchen and second-floor event space with balconies. A historical exhibit was also installed, and floorboards recovered from the former tannery site during construction were incorporated into the display.

The renovated Civic Center hosted its first event on September 28, 2018, when the Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce used the building. A public ribbon-cutting and reopening followed the next day.

In 2020, the Michigan chapter of the American Institute of Architects included the George and Lucile Heeringa Civic Center, credited to GMB, among its Building Award recipients.

Facilities and uses The Civic Center is configured as a multi-purpose facility rather than a fixed-seat arena. A 2023 City of Holland request for proposals described the building as approximately and listed seating of up to 1,450 for sporting events and up to 2,000 for concerts or receptions.

The principal arena and event space, known as the Great Hall, can be configured for basketball, concerts, receptions and other large events. The 2018 renovation added flexible meeting and event areas, an indoor winter-market space and a catering kitchen.

City documents identify uses including corporate and community events, basketball games, farmers markets, wedding receptions, quinceañeras, city recreation programs and concerts. The facility and surrounding grounds are also used during community events including the Tulip Time Festival, the Latin Americans United for Progress Fiesta and Holland's International Festival.

Management As the 2018 renovation approached completion, the City of Holland contracted with VenuWorks to manage the Civic Center. The company's management agreement was approved in March 2018.

In March 2024, the Holland City Council approved a five-year facility-management agreement with Sports Facilities Management LLC to succeed VenuWorks after the latter company's contract expired in June 2024. Sports Facilities Management is part of The Sports Facilities Companies.

Holland Civic Center

Bron en licentie