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in dollars) | architect = Neil Nehrbass | structural engineer = J.B. Mouton & Sons | general_contractor = Blunt Brothers Corp. | tenants = Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (NCAA) (1985–Present) Louisiana IceGators (ECHL) (1995–2005) Lafayette SwampCats (EISL) (1997-1998) Lafayette Roughnecks (af2) (2001) Louisiana IceGators (SPHL) (2010-Present) Lafayette Wildcatters (SIFL) (2010) | seating_capacity = Basketball: 11,550 Ice Hockey: 11,433 Concerts: 13,500 Pro Wrestling: 12,121 }} Cajundome is a 13,500 seat multi-purpose arena located in Lafayette, Louisiana. It is home to the Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns men's basketball program, Louisiana IceGators of the Southern Professional Hockey League and the Louisiana high school basketball state championship. The arena also hosts many regional concerts (seating for concerts 8,481 to 13,500) and special events, such as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events and the annual outdoor Cajun Heartland State Fair, an eleven-day state fair that attracts over 175,000. The facility is a recognizable Lafayette landmark that was built by the State of Louisiana, funded by the City of Lafayette, and is owned by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and managed by the Cajundome Commission.〔(Mission Statement of Cajundome )〕 From the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s it was home to the ECHL's now-defunct Louisiana IceGators. During that time, the arena earned the nickname 'The Frozen Swamp'. In 2010 it became official that the Louisiana IceGators, now as part of the SPHL, would make a return to 'The Frozen Swamp'. The Cajundome has been home to the Lafayette SwampCats of the EISL and the Lafayette Roughnecks of the af2. It also hosted the 1998, 1999, and 2007 Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball tournaments. The arena also hosts the annual Beta Club Louisiana state conventions. ==Development== The arena was completed in 1985, during the administration of Mayor William Dudley "Dud" Lastrapes, Jr., at a cost of $64 million. The project was authorized during the administration of Governor David C. Treen and completed when Edwin Washington Edwards returned to office for a third nonconsecutive term by unseating Treen in the Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1983. The stadium was first proposed in 1978 by the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, then headed by journalist Ron Gomez, a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1980-1989. Gomez envisioned a building for both university and municipal needs. In his autobiography, Gomez describes the project and its architect, Neil Nehrbass of Lafayette, accordingly: "Several of his peers openly questioned Nehrbass' ability to handle such an immense project. They had a good basis for their anxiety since Neil had never taken on such a colossal building. He was known, rather for his non-traditional and sometimes avant-garde designs. Nehrbass and I had been acquainted many years, and he recognized my passion for this project. We talked at great length about the building and the uses for it. Neil was the consummate artist. He dressed flamboyantly, chain smoked gold-tipped, pastel-colored cigarettes which he imported from England and was definitely not a sports fan. He had never attended a USL (UL Lafayette ) basketball game. But he was enthusiastic about this new project and visited the recently-opened domed facility in Biloxi, Mississippi, and Madison Square Garden in New York City to gain insight on how he would make the Lafayette structure unique."〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Cajundome」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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