civic center

noun

1. a building complex housing a theater or theaters for the performing arts and sometimes exhibition halls, a museum, etc., and usually constructed or maintained by municipal funds.
2. a building or building complex containing a municipality's administrative offices, various departmental headquarters, courts, etc., and sometimes an auditorium, libraries, or other community or cultural facilities.
3. a theater, meeting hall, or the like for community or public use.

Word History and Origins

Origin of civic center¹

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Supervisor Janice Hahn voted against the purchase, telling her colleagues she was concerned about the fate of the downtown civic center if the Hall of Administration shut down.

From Los Angeles Times

Around Maine, officials added more cooling centers by turning libraries, town halls, civic centers, Y.M.C.A.s and fire departments into places of reprieve.

From New York Times

“Not that it is just a financial center and a civic center and an economic center, but it’s also a neighborhood.”

From Seattle Times

“There are also opportunities to connect down to the arts district, the civic center, and Little Tokyo on the east-west streets,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

Maybe it would help kick-start our struggling civic center.

From Seattle Times