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City of Mankato asks Legislature to fund second downtown hockey arena

Women's Hockey Exposition Center

The City of Mankato hopes to expand Alltell Center by adding a Women's Hockey Exposition Center downtown, connected by a skyway to the current arena.

2007-09-26
By Shane Frederick, Free Press Staff Writer [published in The Free Press, Mankato, MN, 9/21/2007]

Ice, ice, baby.

That’s what the city hopes it will have more of in five years with the construction of a riverside rink for Minnesota State Uiversity’s hockey teams.

The expansion of the Alltel Center to add a Southern Minnesota Women’s Hockey Exposition Center across Riverfront Drive from the current civic center was pitched to the Senate Capital Investment Committee Thursday for consideration in the state bonding bill.

The 1,800-seat arena would be the home rink for MSU women’s hockey games and also house practice facilities, offices and locker rooms for both of the school’s Division I programs.

The men’s team would con­tinue to play its games in the 4,700-seat Alltel Center, which would connect to the new building by a skyway.

The city will request $17.5 million over the next three bonding cycles for the $22.4 million project, which also includes construction of a 500­seat theater on the east side of the civic center.

Citing gender and “facility equity,” City Manager Pat Hentges told the committee that All Seasons Arena, where the women’s team plays and both teams practice, is “signifi­cantly substandard” compared to other Western Collegiate Hockey Association facilities.

“There are some disadvan­tages for MSU,” Hentges said. “This addition could go a long way to remedy those.”

Ice time is limited at All Seasons Arena, which is also used by boys and girls high school and youth hockey teams and a figure skating club.

“We’re in a situation where the facility at All Seasons Arena is a little dated,” MSU athletic director Kevin Buisman said. “This would help us compete with other programs in the WCHA.”

Not just on the ice but in the budget as well.

The University of Minnesota, St. Cloud State and Bemidji State each practice and play in on-campus arenas that are operated with state funds.

Minnesota State pays rough­ly $280,000 a year to lease Mankato’s buildings, Hentges said.

He argued that the schools should be “on the same plane ... whether the arenas are owned by the state or leased by the state.”

In the last bonding bill, which was vetoed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty last spring, St. Cloud State was awarded $11 million for renovations to the National Hockey Center where both of its hockey teams play.

The Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center, which is the home to Minnesota Duluth hockey, has also received state funding.

“The state is paying full fare for other facilities,” Sen. Kathy Sheran, D-Mankato, said. “We need to recognize that this is a bargain for the state of Minnesota.”

Mankato’s bonding proposal includes: $1.2 million for design in 2008, $10 million for arena construction in 2010 and $5 million for theater construc­tion in 2012 after the arena is complete.

The city would match $1.2 million in 2008 and $5 million in 2012 for the project. Both MSU men’s coach Troy Jutting and women’s coach Jeff Vizenor seemed impressed by the arena plans.

“It’s exciting not only for our program but for all of MSU hockey,” Vizenor said, “It has all the bells and whistles, things that ring with a recruit.”

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