TCU Place
TCU Place, formerly known as the Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium,[1] is a 104,000-square-foot (9,700 m2) convention and arts centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Situated in the Central Business District it is located next to Midtown Plaza.[2]
| Former names | Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium |
|---|---|
| Location | 35 22nd Street East Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Coordinates | 52°07′43″N 106°40′04″W |
| Type | Convention centre Performing arts center |
| Capacity | 2,003 (Main stage) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | April 1, 1968 |
| Expanded | 2006 |
| Website | |
| TCU Place | |
The Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium was opened April 1, 1968, and was designed by Kerr Cullingworth Riches Associates. Its first performance was a performance of Orff's Carmina Burana by the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra.
It was named in honour of Canada's recently completed centennial celebrations. It was part of a major redevelopment of Saskatoon's downtown following the closure of its CNR station; the project also saw the construction of the Midtown Plaza mall. In 2006 the centre underwent major renovation with funding from TCU Financial Group, giving it naming rights for 10 years as TCU Place Arts & Convention Centre.[3] In 2013, TCU renewed the naming rights until 2026.[4]
The Sid Buckwold Theatre, located within TCU Place is a 2,003 seat performing arts theatre. The theatre is home to the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and aside from hosting major arts performances and conventions, the venue alternates with Regina's Conexus Arts Centre as host of the Telemiracle telethons.
Future
A 2018 study recommended the construction of a new arena and convention centre in the downtown area to replace TCU Place and SaskTel Centre. Both venues were stated to be "quickly approaching their end-of-useful life" and not meeting standards in comparison to venues in equivalent markets, with TCU Place in particular "[falling] behind current industry standards for flexible/adaptable spaces, acoustics, exhibit spaces, kitchen service, and typical convention requirements".[5]
References
- "Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium Media Announcement" (PDF). September 29, 2005. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
- "Saskatoon Centennial Auditorium". The Canadian Encyclopedia. The Historica Dominion Institute. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved 2010-11-15.
- "About Us". TCU Place. 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-04-25. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
- French, Janet (2013-05-24). "TCU Place name lives on". The StarPhoenix. Postmedia Network. Retrieved 2013-05-24.
- Deibert, Dave (2018-03-19). "New downtown joint-use arena, convention centre 'most practical, profitable option': report". Saskatoon StarPhoenix. Retrieved 2019-12-20.