Daily Digs: Three Hockey Arena Projects — $50M Facility in N.Y., $14M Revamp in Minnesota, $28M Build in Pennsylvania

In the fall of 2025 when the Union College in Schenectady, N.Y., men's and women's hockey programs host their home openers, they will be skating in a new $50 million ice hockey arena offering all the latest amenities for players and fans.

After months of anticipation, an agreement has been finalized for Union's Division I hockey teams to play their games in an arena to be built at nearby Mohawk Harbor.

The project features a 2,200-seat ice hockey rink with capacity expanding to 3,600 for other sporting events, trade shows, special events and conventions.

The nearly 100,000-square-foot arena will be located steps from College Park Hall, providing easy access from campus. It is also near two hotels, restaurants and other retail establishments, making it more inviting for fans and visiting teams.

An agreement has been finalized for a public-private partnership to build a new arena at Mohawk Harbor, the latest investment in Schenectady’s ongoing revitalization efforts.Image courtesy of Union Athletics

The city of Mankato, Minn., is approving a nearly $14 million plan to keep All Seasons Arena running and make some improvements to the five-decades-old community ice rink.

A detailed presentation on the project was given Monday to the Mankato City Council, which gave unanimous approval. 

The new plan to revitalize the facility includes a 1,200-square-foot addition to house a new ammonia-based ice-making plant, which will eliminate a handful of west-side parking stalls.

There will be new ice floors and piping in the rinks too. Other mechanical fixes include new boilers, furnaces, water heaters and dehumidifiers. The project addresses fire code and accessibility issues as well.

Beyond bare-bones fixes, the North Rink will be reduced to NHL dimensions, creating room for the addition of a spectator mezzanine and seating for 450.

The notoriously cramped arena lobby will be expanded.

In the South Rink, concessions and public restrooms will be moved to the second floor, creating a warm viewing area overlooking the ice for fans while enhancing the privacy of young skaters using first-floor locker rooms.

Presuming that construction bids come in at predicted levels, work is expected to begin in April

The plan is to complete the facility in time for the 2025-26 season.

All Seasons Arena was built in 1973 and a second sheet of ice was added in 1998. 

More:

• In Moon Township, Penn., private institution Robert Morris University is looking to build a $28 million hockey arena on campus and has asked the state for $10 million for the project. The state of Pennsylvania announced that it will give more than $500 million to projects that need funding. RMU would like to build a state-of-the-art arena to accommodate 2,500 people. The building will be 100,000 square feet and include enhanced training locker room facilities and offices. It will also offer top-tier amenities to youth and amateur players. This arena will double the size of the Clearview Arena at the Island Sports Complex and include premium seating to provide a new way to enjoy Colonials hockey. The arena will be on campus, but the precise site is to be determined. It will also involve new parking to be installed on campus. 
     

The Daily Digs from Athletic Business' AB Today e-newsletter is a weekday spotlight on new or announced athletics facilities projects. 

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