Hobbs Ice Arena to receive updating
Fundraising campaign to expand, renovate 35-year-old arena
Emily Hartwig
Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: News
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In response to these, and many other problems such as outdated ice care, Hobbs will see much-needed improvements within the next two years.
This week, stakeholders in the 35-year-old community arena kicked off a $6 million fundraising campaign that will include money from the university, the community and the state to expand and renovate the facility.
Phil Fieber, director of the City of Eau Claire Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department, said community and university representatives have met for two years to discuss Hobbs' deficiencies and are launching the campaign to secure "quality and affordable ice team" for the city's future.
Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich represents the university and its hockey teams on the Ice Sports Consortium, the group of stakeholders planning the public-private initiative.
"Sometimes it's hard to get people focussed on a common sense of interests," Levin-Stankevich said of the alliance committee. "(But) together we can create a facility much better than anything we could do on our own."
Interest groups on the committee also include the City of Eau Claire, North and Memorial high schools, the Eau Claire Youth Hockey Association and the Eau Claire Figure Skating Club.
The plan calls for extensive expansion and renovation of the current facility, including building a new lobby, concession area, restrooms and changing rooms; expanding seating capacity; enclosing the outdoor rink; and adding an area dedicated to the Blugold hockey teams, including new locker rooms, a weight room and a training room. Fieber said construction will begin next January, with plans to occupy the renovated facility by October 2009.
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