Ice Rink Development - Firland Management

North Star Arena – Firland build underway in PEI, Canada

Shawna Romain — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 14:51:47 +0000

Since 1971, North Star Arena has served the residents of North Rustico and surrounding communities with a full range of ice sports and non-ice activities. After 48 years of operation, the arena was at the end of its useful life. Refrigeration and mechanical systems were obsolete, the ice surface was not regulation size at 85’ x 185’, and the rink board system was not standard.

Firland Management was asked to conduct a feasibility study and business plan with the goal of developing a sustainable operating model for a new facility. This facility would have a regulation ice surface of 85’ x 200’, large supporting dressing rooms, food and beverage service, walking track, fitness center and other supporting operating components.

The effective use of energy was critical to this model. Energy savings through the use of waste heat from a single source, will be used for refrigeration, heating, cooling, dehumidification and hot water. The operating plan and financial model showed that financial success would be achieved with growth of existing programs, new program development with the addition of a walking track, fitness, room rental and off-season programming.

Based on the feasibility of the study, Firland then became involved in the construction of the facility which is now underway. With a capital cost of the project of $6.8 million dollars, the project is funded through federal and provincial dollars and extensive fundraising in the community.

Progress is underway and as of the end of June 2022 concrete slabs have been poured, Drywall and Seam filling ongoing on the second floor and east wall, Masonry walls on north west corner are ongoing.

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Firland Client, Indy Fuel owners, propose $40M sports, entertainment complex

admin — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 16:07:59 +0000

FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL

The owners of the Indy Fuel professional hockey team and Indianapolis-based developer Gershman Partners announced plans Monday to team up on a $40 million-plus sports, family entertainment and hospitality complex on 60 acres along Interstate 65 in Greenwood.

Indiana Ice Arenas LLC, owned by Fuel owners Jim and Sean Hallett, and Gershman Partners said they have signed letters of intent with Greenwood to develop the project south of County Line Road and are seeking an incentive package worth $8.5 million from the city.

Greenwood Sportsplex would be located on the southern border of the larger development. (Image courtesy city of Greenwood)

The development would be anchored by the $25 million Greenwood Sportsplex, a 175,000-square-foot facility with two ice rinks, two turf fields, five basketball courts, a fitness and training facility, pro shop, locker rooms and food service facilities. The turf fields would be convertible into two additional ice rinks and the basketball courts would be convertible into 10 volleyball courts.

The project would replace an earlier proposal by the Halletts to build a $20 million ice rink project on six acres in Greenwood’s Freedom Park.

Gershman said it would spend an additional $15 million on the initial phase of the overall development, which would include another 125,000 square feet of entertainment, dining, retail and hospitality projects.

The developer said it has early agreements in place with Xscape Theatres and Main Event Entertainment to serve as anchors for that portion of the development. Xscape operates multi-screen movie theaters, and Main Event operates bowling-alley entertainment facilities that also offer laser tag, billiards, bars and dining.

Ten outlots at the development would include a 200-room hotel, convenience store and restaurants. The site also could eventually include medical and office space.

Gershman, the developer behind Hamilton Town Center in Noblesville and The Bridges in Carmel, has been trying to develop high-profile piece of land in Greenwood since 2015. It initially proposed a $90 million development called Greenwood Town Center that would contain 700,000 square feet of shopping, dining and entertainment. But construction on that project didn’t get started as expected late last year after Gershman struggled to find larger anchor-type tenants, Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers told IBJ in January.

The sports complex, Xscape theater and Main Event facility appears to give Gershman the anchors it needs to get the project off the ground.

“The initial phase of this development would bring nearly 300,000 square feet of sports and entertainment facilities to Greenwood,” said Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers in written comments. “The project creates a focus for youth sports in the Midwest and positions our city to host a variety of regional and national events. It also provides a unique recreational opportunity for residents of Greenwood and surrounding areas.”

The Halletts had previously proposed developing a $20 million project called the Greenwood Iceplex on six acres in Freedom Park, south of Smith Valley Road between State Road 135 and U.S. 31 South. But the proposed location has not been met favorably by nearby residents and members of the Greenwood Common Council. A spokesman for the Halletts said Monday that Greenwood officials put design mandates on that project that made it “not financially feasible.”

In total, the Halletts and the Fuel expect to invest up to $30 million in the overall project, including about $25 million on the sports facility and other investments in the hotel and other developments, the spokesman said.

The Greenwood Redevelopment Commission is scheduled to hold a special meeting Monday evening to hear a presentation on the new project and the requested incentives.

Those incentives include up to $3.7 million for construction of site improvements, up to $1.8 million for off-site infrastructure improvements on County Line and Graham roads, and reimbursement of up to $3 million for capital improvements at Greenwood Sportsplex, payable over 10 years with continual operations.

RDC President Brent Tilson said he’s in favor of the project.

“This is a special opportunity for Greenwood,” Tilson said in a written statement. “The value to our city is immediate and will only increase over time. We’re confident this will spur accelerated development in both the immediate and surrounding areas.”

The RDC is expected to vote on the incentive packages during its July 11 meeting. The development also requires variance requests through the Board of Zoning Appeals and plat/site plan approval from the Advisory Plan Commission.

The developers said they would like to have definitive agreements in place by the end of August.

Previous attempts to develop the site have failed. Cabela’s pulled plans to build a store there in 2009, and GoodSports backed out of a plan for the site in 2014, when it couldn’t secure financing for a $22 million sports complex and hotel project.

Dallas-based Main Event Entertainment already operates one area venue. It opened a location this year in the north-side Rivers Edge Shopping Center previously occupied by Latitude 360. It operates nearly 40 venues nationally.

New Albany-based Xscape targets “underserved” markets in has suburban areas. It has multi-screen theaters in Florida, New Jersey, Kentucky, Ohio and Maryland.

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Firland Managed Cornerstone Ice Arena draws thousands to State Amateur Hockey Championships

admin — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 16:13:05 +0000

A win-win for Lockport and Cornerstone Arena

FROM THE LOCKPORT JOURNAL

A win-win for Lockport and Cornerstone Arena

CITY’S TWIN-RINK ICE RINK DREW THOUSANDS TO STATE AMATEUR HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

BY JOHN D’ONOFRIO john.donofrio@lockportjournal.com

Mar 12, 2017

Gauging by the reaction of visiting players and their families, Cornerstone Arena administrators and local businessmen, the 2017 New York State Amateur Hockey Association State Tournament has had a significant economic impact on the city, while leaving a positive impression on Lockport’s hundreds of out-of-town guests.

The major local sporting event at three separate rinks was expected to fill about 7,000 Western New York hotel rooms and generate more than $4.5M for the local economy. It may be difficult to come up with concrete final numbers everyone in Lockport can agree on, but downtown parking here was sparse this weekend, hotels were at or near capacity and local restaurants everywhere were packed with special guests.

“It’s been a huge boom for Lockport,” said Cornerstone Executive Director Tim Bulmer. “I know area businesses have been inundated with visitors from out of town, so we’re excited just to have it, host it and hopefully have it for years to come.”

Bulmer said tournaments aren’t the only events or programs the state-of-the-art, twin-rink Cornerstone Arena offers, but they’re important in many ways, especially the positive impact they make on teams and players who’ve seen it all and played at the finest facilities throughout the state and country.

The Cornerstone, they say, is unequivocally one of the Empire States’s most talked about arenas today.

“We’re very supportive of these types of events, especially the high-caliber tournaments,” Bulmer said. “We’ve had parents and teams from all over the state tell us how much they loved the facility — teams that came here from the Adirondacks, downstate New York, Long Island, mid-state, central New York, Syracuse Troy, Albany — you name it. It’s important for people across the state to know who we are.”

Penalty Box owner Jon George couldn’t be happier with all the added people coming to his bar/restaurant within the Cornerstone, where business was brisk throughout the last two tourney weekends.

“Thousands of people are pouring into Lockport and the arena,” said George, who’s been in business at the Cornerstone for the past year-and-a-half. “There’s teams from throughout the state and their families and there’s college scouts here. Everyone we’ve talked to has said that this is one of the nicest ice arenas they’ve ever seen and these people travel around the country and Canada. It’s just a great weekend for the arena and for Lockport.”

At DeFlippo’s Restaurant on West Avenue, owner Gerry DeFlippo said the tournament has drawn unusually large crowds throughout the city, including his long-time, family-owned establishment, where smiles and laughter could be seen and heard in every room.

“A Rochester hockey team called the restaurant on Friday night and asked if we could take of them in 20 minutes,” DeFlippo said.

“I said, ‘Come on in.’ There were 30 of them and they were all very nice people. It was kind of crazy on a Friday night. I talked to many of them — especially the kids — and they told me they were from the Rochester area and that they’ve really enjoyed their time at the arena and the city.”

Parents and players were talking positively about the arena.

“It’s one of the nicest arenas in the state and we’ve been to all of them,” one mom said. Her son, decked out in his Rochester team colors, nodded his head, adding, “We love the ice. It’s a great place to play hockey. I can’t wait until our game tomorrow.”

Newfane’s Arnie Jonathan said the arena, “is one of the best things that ever happened to Lockport.” Jonathan was rooting on a girls’ team from the St. Lawrence Seaway area in which his friend’s daughter plays on.

“Just think about all the hotels, stores and restaurants that are generating extra revenue as a direct result of this event,” Jonathan said. “The arena is been jam packed and it’s a great complex if you’re hoping to draw people from out of town.”

Bulmer said the tournament is nothing short of a giant success, another in a long string of successes.

“I feel that finally, the Cornerstone is being put on the map for New York State arenas, which is the end game for us,” Bulmer said.

“It was our vision from the beginning. Now, we’re getting into our second full year of operations and credibility. The newness, the energy efficiencies we have, it sets us apart. People who may have heard about it, but had yet to see it have now come to see it for the first time and taking home with them a positive experience that they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.”

This year marks the fifth straight that the Amherst Youth Hockey Association and the Northtown Center have partnered together to host the state tournament. While Amherst’s Northtown Center is serving as the tournament host for each of the three championship weekends, the Cornerstone twin rink facility provided two sheets of ice to host competition during the first two weekends.

Following the tournament, Bulmer said plans are in the works to start an indoor lacrosse program at the arena.

Upcoming tryouts are slated for two youth hockey leagues that play at the Cornerstone — the Lockport Lock Monsters and the Clarence Mustangs. After that, Bulmer said the ice will come down for the summer on one of the two rinks.

“We will have a full-scale lacrosse program, as well as floor hockey. They will be new, off-season programs, in addition to many other special events,” Bulmer said.

Almost 150 hockey teams are expected to participate this year in the tournament and all games are free and open to the public.

Winners will advance to the national tournament, with the boys’ Tier I 14-U and Tier I 15 winners advancing to Scottsdale, Az., boys’ Tier I 16-U and 18-U winners advancing to Pittsburgh, Pa.; boys’ Tier II 14-U winners advancing to Coral Springs, Fla.; 16-U winners to Frisco, Texas; and 18-U winners to Lansing, Mich. Championship winners of girls’ Tier I for all ages will advance to Rochester, Minn. and Tier II girls division winners to Troy, Minn.

This weekend, 48 12-U teams from New York state will compete for the championship at the Northtown Center.

The Buffalo-Niagara tourism industry has had a significant boost in business every March for the last five straight years, thanks to the tournament, noted Visit Buffalo Niagara President and CEO Patrick Kaler.

“We look forward to continuing to collaborate with USA Hockey, as it plays a key role in advancing our region’s reputation as a destination for college and amateur sports,” Kaler said.

Lockport’s Cornerstone Arena is a state of the art twin sheet ice complex featuring a full service restaurant and a performance training center. Opened in 2014, Cornerstone Arena is home to inclusive offerings such as hockey, public skating, learn to skate, figure skating and programming opportunities for developmental disabilities and special needs. http://www.cornerstoneicearena.com.

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Firland chosen to consult on design & development for $20 million facility in Greenwood, Indianapolis

admin — Thu, 02 Mar 2017 17:16:29 +0000

FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Full article

Indy Fuel owners Jim and Sean Hallett on Thursday announced plans to build a $20 million hockey and ice-skating facility in Greenwood.

Standing with Greenwood Mayor Mark Myers, the father-and-son duo said the a 115,000-square-foot Greenwood Iceplex would be built on six acres in Freedom Park, south of Smith Valley Road between State Road 135 and U.S. 31 South.

The official announcement added details to plans Jim Hallett revealed last month, when he told IBJ he had plans to open multiple ice rinks around the city and would make an announcement on a south-side venue in March. The Halletts said they’d like to make hockey, ice skating and other ice sports more available for central Indiana residents.

The Greenwood Iceplex is expected to feature two ice rinks, two turf fields that can be converted to two additional ice rinks, a fitness and training facility, locker rooms, retail space and a food-service area.

Freedom Park is also home to Freedom Springs Aquatic Center, which Greenwood officials said drew 150,000 visitors during its first two years of operation.

Under terms of the agreement between the Halletts and the city of Greenwood, the Halletts will lease the land for $1 per month and have agreed to invest at least $20 million into the facility.

The deal calls for the Halletts to lease the land for 60 years, Greenwood officials said in a press release.

“This is going to be a major destination,” said Sean Hallett. “We’re creating a first-class facility unlike anything else in the region.”

The facility is expected to be a destination for regional tournaments and events.

Myers praised the project as a milestone for the community.

“This is a game-changer, both for Greenwood and hockey in the Hoosier state,” said Myers. “The Halletts have clearly demonstrated their commitment, and we look forward to a long, successful partnership with Jim, Sean and the entire family.”

Jim Hallett told IBJ last month that he is looking to open more than one ice complex in central Indiana.

The Hallett’s manage the ice rink at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, which is home to the Fuel, a minor-league professional team. They also own and operate the Fuel Tank at Fishers.

Jim Hallett told IBJ in February that he and his son are in conversations with more than two area communities about opening ice rinks. He said central Indiana needs five first-class ice rinks to serve resident demands and to grow hockey and other ice sports, including figure skating, curling and broom ball.

“There absolutely is a pent-up demand,” he said.

Jim Hallett told IBJ he wants to do for central Indiana what Wayne Gretzky did for Los Angeles when he played for the National Hockey League’s Kings in the late 1980s and 1990s.

“We’re approaching it from the ground up,” he said. “Youth hockey provides the foundation, and it takes sustained financial investment and dedication to build and grow the sport at that level. It’s about creating an infrastructure for hockey’s long-term growth and popularity, and Greenwood is an ideal fit for this project.”

The nearby Center Grove area to the west is an affluent community and something of a south-side hockey hotbed, and could give the Iceplex a boost.

The Halletts said they’re convinced that by opening up area ice rinks, they’ll grow the Fuel’s fan base.

“Yes, Indianapolis has had professional hockey since 1938, but until now, no one has really invested in the sport,” said Jim Hallett, who grew up playing hockey in Canada and has lived in Indianapolis for more than two decades after coming to the United States to oversee the North American operations of auto-auction powerhouse ADESA Corp.

“Investing in the sport is investing in youth hockey—for boys and girls,” Hallett said. “That’s how you build the fan base and ensure your future, and that’s what we’re doing.”

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