The new ice arena coming to Snoqualmie is moving along on schedule. It’s hard to believe just by looking at the site, but Sno-King’s newest, two-sheet ice arena is anticipated to open in June 2020. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s scheduled to open in just 9 months.
Sno-King Amateur Hockey Association Executive Director Dave Blanchard was in town this week to talk about the new facility and what it means for the growth of hockey in the region.
Did you know youth hockey participation in our region is expected to double over the next few years due to the the NHL expansion team soon to call Seattle home? Right now Sno-King, a nonprofit organization, has about 650 kids in its hockey development system and expects that number to jump to 1,300 once their new Snoqualmie facility opens.
Sno-King prides itself on being a youth development organization, saying its mission is to teach kids the importance of grit as a life skill that reaches beyond the ice.
Blanchard said annually, Sno-King has about 35,000 people come through each of its arenas, many of whom are repeat visitors. He said between youth hockey, a new girls league, figure skating, adult leagues, camps and tournaments, the new arena should be great for local businesses.
Another did you know: the new ice rink is the product of a partnership. The Razwick family – former owner of Technical Glass Products in Snoqualmie – owns the land and is also constructing the building shell. From there Sno-King will take over and do the interior tenant improvements, including the building the ice rinks. When finished, Sno-King be the longterm tenant.
Blanchard said the Razwich family has a desire to give back to the Snoqualmie community and also shares a common vision for youth development with Sno-King – so it was a perfect partnership.
Back to the building…
Fun Fact: 12 miles of pipe will run beneath the two ice rinks in two levels. The top layer will keep the ice cold and the bottom layer will make sure the top pipes don’t get too cold. The 72,000 sq. ft. facility will also have a mezzanine level for spectators and a dry deck area for athlete off- the-ice conditioning, locker rooms and a concessions area. There will also be stands to accommodate roughly 250 people.
Sno-King’s expansion in Snoqualmie is anticipated to add over 6,500 hours of ice time to serve the entire Eastside [and beyond], something Blanchard said is critical as hockey and ice skating grow in the Puget sound region.
Many Eastside options were explored for a Sno-King expansion, but it was determined that Snoqualmie offered the best potential due to its location and the financial structure of the partnership.
