Landscaping at what was then called the Tucson Community Center was unveiled in a grand opening on Nov. 6, 1971. The Ice Capades opened the new arena that week. Three Dog Night and the Carpenters were booked for 1972. Arthur Fiedler led the Tucson Symphony Orchestra in the first concert at the Music Hall.
The "Little Theatre" (now Leo Rich Theatre) had not been built.
The complex cost $17.6 million - a major overrun from the $5 million estimated six years earlier.
It was part of a $66 million urban renewal plan that displaced about 750 people from one of Tucson's oldest neighborhoods.
