TEMPE — Arizona State University’s hockey team is getting ready to move “from the outhouse to the penthouse” as progress continues on the construction of the $115 million multisport arena.
The 5,000-seat arena, which is being developed by Mortenson, celebrated “topping out” on Tuesday morning, meaning the final steel beam was raised on the structure. The arena is being developed on a former parking lot east of Desert Financial Arena on ASU’s campus.
ASU announced in 2014 that the Sun Devils hockey team would play in the NCAA Division 1, and the team began division play in 2015. At Tuesday’s event, ASU Hockey coach Greg Powers said the team has had to build its program out of the “worst facilities in college athletics, not just college hockey.” The team currently plays at Oceanside Ice Arena in Tempe. In addition to being the home for hockey, the arena will also be used by wrestling and gymnastics.
The arena includes an NHL-sized ice sheet, and will have an additional ice sheet on the north side of the development that will be open for use by community teams or public use. Representatives from Mortenson said both ice sheets are scheduled to be complete at the same time, and when the arena is being used for activities other than hockey there will be a floor covering installed on top of the ice.
Read more of this story from the Phoenix Business Journal.
