Long before the Lansing Civic Center was reduced to rubble in 1999, the 6,500-capacity arena at 525 W. Allegan St. stood as a beating heart of live music in Michigan’s capital city. For decades, it hosted a staggering roster of music legends, from the pioneers of jazz and rock ‘n’ roll to early Motown stars and country icons.
In 1987, the venue was rebranded as the Lansing Civic Arena to differentiate it from the newly built Lansing Center. However, the name change didn’t immediately kill the immense venue; live music and big crowds kept the place buzzing through the 1990s.
The echoes of those legendary nights still likely haunt the site, and when you realize Buddy Holly once walked the streets of downtown Lansing, guitar in tow, well … that’s pretty incredible. Today, the site is home to the Deborah A. Stabenow Building, formerly known as Constitution Hall, a much quieter tenant…