First Arena, Elmira: the building, and the directions to it
The club played every home game of its seventeen seasons in one building on the corner of North Main and West Gray. It is still there.
Section one
The building
What First Arena is
First Arena is a 3,784-seat multi-purpose building in downtown Elmira, New York, on the corner of West Gray Street and North Main Street. It holds two ice surfaces, thirty-one luxury suites, a full-service restaurant and bar, a separate food service for the recreational rink, and meeting and group rooms.
It opened in 2000 as the Coach USA Center and was renamed First Arena in 2004. The Elmira Jackals were its anchor tenant from the day it opened until the club stopped playing in 2017. The building has carried other names since.
The arena exists because the club did, and in that order. Elmira officials announced the project on 2 March 1998 against a county deadline to secure a tenant, costed it at 11.6 million dollars, raised a further 7.25 million, and broke ground on 24 November 1999. The United Hockey League awarded the franchise on 27 March 2000. Construction ran late enough that the team opened its first season with ten straight road games.
The second sheet
The recreational rink is the part visitors often miss. First Arena was built with two ice surfaces rather than one, which is unusual at this size and is what let the building carry youth hockey, public skating and learn-to-skate programmes alongside a professional tenant. When the Jackals stopped playing, the second sheet was one of the reasons the building kept operating.
Section two
Directions
Driving to First Arena in Elmira, New York
These are the routes the club published for supporters travelling in. Road numbers are stable; the one-way system downtown is not, so treat the last two turns as a guide.
From Binghamton
- Route 17 / I-86 west to Exit 56
- First left off the exit onto Water Street
- Water Street through several lights to North Main Street
- Right onto North Main Street
- The arena is on the left
From Watkins Glen
- Route 14 south, which becomes Clemens Center Parkway in Elmira
- Right off Clemens Center Parkway onto Gray Street
- Gray Street one block to Main Street
- The arena is on the south-west corner
From Mansfield
- Route 15 north to Route 17 / I-86 east
- Exit 56, then follow to Water Street
- Water Street to North Main Street
- The arena is on North Main
Questions
Finding the building
Common questions about First Arena
Where is First Arena?
155 North Main Street, on the corner of North Main and West Gray in downtown Elmira, New York.
How many people does First Arena hold?
3,784 for hockey, which is the figure the club itself published. A larger number circulates online and is not used here.
Is First Arena still open?
The building is still on North Main Street and has carried other names since the Jackals stopped playing in 2017.
What is the nearest motorway?
Route 17 / I-86. Exit 56 puts you on Water Street, which runs through to North Main a short distance from the arena.
Where do I park?
Metered streets, two city lots on West Water Street, or the city-owned garage at an event rate. The parking page covers it.
Elsewhere
Where the same ground is covered
- LECOM Event CenterFirst Arena under its current name: capacity, opening and later ownership.