University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

[Hockey Monk]

Ice rink plan in UI Research Park:

"The expansion area also includes a site where Fox and others would like to develop a new $15 million ice arena east of the I Hotel and Conference Center, but that wasn't the driving force for the land transaction, officials said. Fox said they are still trying to put together financing for the 100,000-square-foot ice arena, which would contain two sheets of ice."

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/po...lan-expansion-new-phase-ui-research-park.html

Other posts on Illinois Hockey:

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=169&f=2619&t=7543612

http://www.illinoisloyalty.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=15379

If Illinois makes the jump it could possibly turn a profit with hockey as the club team gets 4-digit size crowds for games and they desperately need a another sheet (or two) of ice in the area to cover the demand from an outdated facility.

 

[owslachief]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

If I'm not mistaken, UofI has an extremely loyal following and draws 1000+ a game. They are also a fairly successful program in the club hockey ranks.

 

[Hockey Monk]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

Yes they are very successful winning the ACHA National Championship in 2005 and 2008 along with runner-up in 2009. As for attendance I believe they do get big crowds but I do not know the figures.

 

[SteveP]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

Illinois would be the logical choice for the next B1G school to go varsity. As mentioned, the Illini have a large, loyal fan base just as Penn State does. Illinois is a hockey hot bed and they'd have no problem recruiting.

 

[moose97]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

100,000-square-foot ice arena, which would contain two sheets of ice.

Boy, that doesn't sound like much of a competition arena to me (especially for D-I. high school or club? Maybe). Consider that Bemidji State's Sanford Center is 185,000 square ft (including the convention center side). That building only has one sheet of ice and 4,373 seats. Amsoil Arena, UMD's new building with no convention center space is 196,000 square ft (again, one sheet of ice but 6,000 seats). I just can't help but think that a 100,000 sq. ft. two sheeter is nothing more than a modern practice rink with some temporary bleachers. Certainly something that would be valuable for the Illini if they started a Varsity program, but not great for a game venu. To me, the future of Illinois hockey still hinges on their plans to replace or renovate Assembly Hall.

 

[aparch]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

If it's two sheets, then it does sound small for the size. I'm pretty sure the BEC is over 100k sqft and that's just one olympic size rink and seating for 3800.

Moose is likely right.

 

[4four4]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

Illinois would be the logical choice for the next B1G school to go varsity. As mentioned, the Illini have a large, loyal fan base just as Penn State does. Illinois is a hockey hot bed and they'd have no problem recruiting.

I never looked at Illinois as a hockey hotbed like the state of Minnesota. If PSU is smart they will recruit Minnesota because if you don't have a Minnesotan on your roster the likelyhood of winning a national title goes down.

 

[RITProf]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

Boy, that doesn't sound like much of a competition arena to me (especially for D-I. ....

Also consider that RIT is budgeting $30 million for an arena with 1 sheet to seat between 4000 - 6000. $15 million doesn't sound like a budget for a D-I (not to mention Big N) competition arena.

 

[moose97]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

Also consider that RIT is budgeting $30 million for an arena with 1 sheet to seat between 4000 - 6000. $15 million doesn't sound like a budget for a D-I (not to mention Big N) competition arena.

$30 mil even sounds a bit low (but in the AHA, it's likely to be one of the nicer buildings). Amsoil was $80 million and the Sanford Center was $50 mil. And those buildings benefited from the cheap prices of the 2009 construction season. Had they been built in 2007 or 2008 they would have cost at least 10% more on steel alone.

 

[state of hockey]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

Yeah, the numbers are way too low. Installment of a second sheet of ice for Anoka Ice Arena in 1986 or so cost $8M alone.

 

[Hockey Monk]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

I never looked at Illinois as a hockey hotbed like the state of Minnesota. If PSU is smart they will recruit Minnesota because if you don't have a Minnesotan on your roster the likelyhood of winning a national title goes down.

Illinois has over 25,000 members with USA Hockey....I think they might find a player or two.

 

[JDUBBS1280]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

If Illinois makes the jump, which I don't believe they ever will, I don't think their programs will be profitable. It is very difficult to turn a profit on college hockey because of the costs. If I recall correctly, of all the Big 10 schools, only Minnesota was profitable last year. And that's because Minnesota has far and away the best TV contract in the country.

Attendance is nice, but that isn't where the big $$ is. Mariucci has a rather small seating capacity compared to other venues, yet the Gophers are far and away the highest earning college program in the country. The Big 10 TV contract will help as the schools will share that revenue, but do you think there will be additional Illinois games televised? Statewide? What type of TV contract could they muster?

If Illinois adds a men's team, they will need to add a woman's team (in some sport). That, combined with the fact that it is so difficult to make a college hockey program profitable, leads me to believe we won't see another Big 10 hockey program for quite a while (unless Notre Dame decides to join, which I doubt).

If Illinois does make the jump, I think that would be great for college hockey, but I just don't see it happening.

 

[Gurtholfin]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

I never looked at Illinois as a hockey hotbed like the state of Minnesota. If PSU is smart they will recruit Minnesota because if you don't have a Minnesotan on your roster the likelyhood of winning a national title goes down.

Good advice, but I'd add that having too many Minnesotans on your roster can be just as bad as not having any as the doosh-itis* level can reach a tipping point leading to a point of diminishing and then negative returns.


* Big brother made me spell it that way.

 

[RITProf]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

$30 mil even sounds a bit low (but in the AHA, it's likely to be one of the nicer buildings). Amsoil was $80 million and the Sanford Center was $50 mil. And those buildings benefited from the cheap prices of the 2009 construction season. Had they been built in 2007 or 2008 they would have cost at least 10% more on steel alone.

I hear you. One of the models they are using is Goggin at Miami, which was about $35 million and has two sheets. RIT has a way of getting things done when it comes to buildings, so I am sure it will be a good arena. We've already got a donation of a $1 million video scoreboard (HD, I believe) ... don't know if that would count as part of the $30 million. The deal is that $15 million has to come from donations and RIT will put in the other $15 million (with a business plan that will somehow recoup that ... RIT also has a knack for not throwing money away). The current arena will remain, so we will actually have two sheets on campus.

(Maybe private $$ go farther than government $$ ????)

 

[7&7]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

$30 mil even sounds a bit low (but in the AHA, it's likely to be one of the nicer buildings). Amsoil was $80 million and the Sanford Center was $50 mil. And those buildings benefited from the cheap prices of the 2009 construction season. Had they been built in 2007 or 2008 they would have cost at least 10% more on steel alone.

Didn't Crookston just build a 870,000 sqft building with 3 sheets for around 15 million, seating for 1200 on the main rink

 

[moose97]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

Didn't Crookston just build a 870,000 sqft building with 3 sheets for around 15 million, seating for 1200 on the main rink

Yes. Yes they did.

I hear you. One of the models they are using is Goggin at Miami, which was about $35 million and has two sheets. RIT has a way of getting things done when it comes to buildings, so I am sure it will be a good arena. We've already got a donation of a $1 million video scoreboard (HD, I believe) ... don't know if that would count as part of the $30 million. The deal is that $15 million has to come from donations and RIT will put in the other $15 million (with a business plan that will somehow recoup that ... RIT also has a knack for not throwing money away). The current arena will remain, so we will actually have two sheets on campus.

(Maybe private $$ go farther than government $$ ????)

I look forward to seeing what you guys come up with. Outside the correction in 2009, inflation has hurt the construction industry. A $35 million building opened in 2005 wouldn't cost that same $35 million today. Consider that the Sanford Center in Bemidji came in under budget by $10 million dollars. All because steel prices dropped like a rock. Now, steel is back up. It's amazing what happened in that industry in a disastrous 2009 and now 2010 to now. Literally, every taconite plant on the Iron Range in NE Minnesota closed in 2009 because of the recession, and drop in steel demand. They all re-opened in 2010, and hired new staff too. Bemidji and Duluth benefited from ordering steel when no one else did, and their rinks cost $50 and $80 million (and Bemidji was that $10 mil under budget, and Duluth added several alt-adds they didn't think they could afford).

http://ironrangeresources.org/rangeviews/2010/12/30/2010-–-a-better-year-in-northeastern-minnesota/

Mariucci has a rather small seating capacity compared to other venues...

Compared to what? Xcel Center? Mariucci is the 5th largest rink in college hockey and is only smaller than Wisconsin and Ohio State (who doesn't even draw 25% of capacity to their 17,500 seat rink) in the new B1G.

 

[JDUBBS1280]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

Compared to what? Xcel Center? Mariucci is the 5th largest rink in college hockey and is only smaller than Wisconsin and Ohio State (who doesn't even draw 25% of capacity to their 17,500 seat rink) in the new B1G.

Sorry, very poor wording on my part. What I meant to say (but did a horrible job of it) is that despite not having the largest arena of the Big 10 teams, the Gophers are by far the most profitable. And that is because of their TV contract more than anything else.

Thanks for the correction

 

[Runninwiththedogs]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

This is so awesome. In college I was a UIUC season ticket holder and megaphone-carrying member of the Harrassing Illini. Illinois hockey is growing. But there is no way in hell they could do it with the rink they have now. I would LOVE for the Illini to have D-1 hockey. They'd never replace tUMD for me, but I'd be a fan!

 

[Vance]

Re: University of Illinois plans for new Ice Arena in Research Park

$30 mil even sounds a bit low (but in the AHA, it's likely to be one of the nicer buildings). Amsoil was $80 million and the Sanford Center was $50 mil. And those buildings benefited from the cheap prices of the 2009 construction season. Had they been built in 2007 or 2008 they would have cost at least 10% more on steel alone.

Sheesh, I never knew it cost that much to build these arenas. How can universities afford all this?

 

[Snively65]

Sheesh, I never knew it cost that much to build these arenas. How can universities afford all this?

Projected $45 mil if Bentley (Waltham, Mass.) decides to build a 2500-seat arena on campus to open in 2017. As RITProf noted back in 2011, about half the costs must come from gifts.