Walter Pyramid

Walter Pyramid
Map
Full nameWalter Pyramid
Former namesThe Pyramid
Location1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840
Coordinates33°47′14″N 118°6′51″W / 33.78722°N 118.11417°W / 33.78722; -118.11417
OwnerLong Beach State University
Capacity4,200 (With additional seating, a record attendance of 6,912 occurred on November 16, 2012 versus North Carolina)
SurfaceBeechwood
ScoreboardYes
Construction
StartedDecember 17, 1992[1]
OpenedNovember 30, 1994
Construction cost$22 million
($40.2 million in 2024 dollars[2])
ArchitectDon Gibbs
General contractorNielson Construction Company

The Walter Pyramid, also known as the Long Beach Pyramid, is a 5,000 seat indoor multi-purpose arena on the campus of Long Beach State University in Long Beach, California.[3]

History

The Walter Pyramid opened on November 30, 1994. It hosted a Long Beach State 49ers men's basketball game against University of Detroit Mercy. The game aired live on ESPN. A standing-room only crowd of 5,021 saw Long Beach win with a final score of 71-64

External view of Walter Pyramid

The Walter Pyramid was designed by Don Gibbs. It was built by the Nielson Construction Company of San Diego. The building of Walter Pyramid cost approximately $22 million dollars. Each side of the perimeter of Walter Pyramid measures 345 feet (105 m), making it a mathematically true pyramid. It is one of only three true pyramid-style buildings in the United States. The others are the Luxor Hotel Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee.

The Walter Pyramid rises 18 stories above the Long Beach skyline. Its exterior is clad in sheets of dark-blue corrugated aluminum.

Name change

On March 5, 2005, Long Beach State renamed The Pyramid to Walter Pyramid in honor of Dr. Mike and Arline Walter. The Walters were given this recognition for a $2.1 million donation given to the university.[4] In addition to being the vice-president of Levi Strauss & Co., Dr. Mike Walter was also a dean for Long Beach State's College of Business Administration from 1993 to 2000.[5]

The Walter Pyramid also hosts the World Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships or, in Portuguese language, Mundiais. The Walter Pyramid is also home to the Los Angeles Reign of the National Pro Grid League.[6]

A panoramic view of Walter Pyramid on the campus of California State University, Long Beach

References

  1. ↑ McLeod, Paul (December 17, 1992). "Sports Center Groundbreaking Set". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 November 2014.[permanent dead link]
  2. ↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  3. ↑ "The Mike and Arlene Walter Pyramid". Long Beach State University. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  4. ↑ "Pyramid Named for Mike and Arline Walter". Fall 2005. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Dr. Mike Walter". Port of Long Beach. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "NPGL". Archived from the original on 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2022-04-25.

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