Broadway Auditorium
Broadway Auditorium is a former multipurpose arena in Buffalo, New York. It was part of a complex that first opened as Broadway Arsenal in 1858 to accommodate the 65th and 74th Regiments of the New York National Guard. The facility was expanded in 1884 with the addition of a drill hall and administration building to become the Sixty-Fifth Regiment Armory. The armory was decommissioned in 1907, and the City of Buffalo opened the vacant drill hall as Broadway Auditorium in 1913.
Exterior of the venue, circa 1914 | |
| Former names | Broadway Arsenal (1858–1883, 1908–1912) Sixty-Fifth Regiment Armory (1884–1907) Broadway Auditorium (1913–1940) |
|---|---|
| Address | 201 Broadway |
| Location | Buffalo, New York |
| Coordinates | 42°53′12.6″N 78°51′57.9″W |
| Public transit | Lafayette Square |
| Owner | City of Buffalo |
| Capacity | 12,000 |
| Field size | 47,000 sq ft (4,400 m2) |
| Acreage | 5.3 acres (2.1 ha) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 5, 1858 |
| Opened | May 19, 1913 |
| Renovated | 1912, 1936, 1948 |
| Expanded | 1884 |
| Closed | June 28, 1940 |
| Construction cost | US$45,000 (1858) ($1.58 million in 2023 dollars) US$25,025 (1884) ($848,626 in 2023 dollars) US$64,000 (1912) ($2.02 million in 2023 dollars) US$115,000 (1936) ($2.53 million in 2023 dollars) US$1,400,000 (1948) ($17.8 million in 2023 dollars) |
| Architect | Calvin N. Otis (1858) George J. Metzker (1884) Robert J. Reidpath (1912) |
| Main contractors | William F. Felton (1912) WPA (1936) W.F. Hendrich Company (1948) |
| Tenants | |
| Buffalo Majors (AHA) 1931 Buffalo Bowmans (IPLL) 1932 Canisius Golden Griffins (NCAA) 1936–1939 Buffalo Bisons (NBL) 1937–1938 | |
Broadway Auditorium was home to the Buffalo Majors (AHA), Buffalo Bowmans (IPLL), Canisius Golden Griffins (NCAA) and Buffalo Bisons (NBL). It hosted notable events including the Six Days of Buffalo (1910–1940), NBA Tournament (1911), ABC National Tournament (1914, 1921, 1925 and 1931), NYSPHSAA Basketball Championship (1927), and the World Championship Series (1931–1939). Jimmy Slattery fought at the venue 73 times in his Hall of Fame boxing career, highlighted by his 1930 win over Lou Scozza to become NYSAC Light Heavyweight Champion.
After closing in 1940, the complex was used as barracks for the 712th Military Police Battalion during World War II. The former auditorium began serving as public works storage facility Broadway Garage (known colloquially as Broadway Barns) after the arsenal was demolished in 1948. Following renovations slated to begin in 2024, the building will reopen as a sports complex.