Rink

November / December 2014

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T he city of Nashville has been synonymous with two things: barbecue and country music. In 1998, a new act joined the scene when the NHL's Nashville Predators took root in the Music City. At that moment, "Smashville" was born. Since then, hockey and skating have been as well known as honky-tonk. The newly constructed Ford Ice Center pro- vides the perfect venue to serve the local hockey appetite. "There's so much pent-up demand for hockey here," said Ford Ice Center hockey director Craig MacDonald. "As word started getting out about the new Ford Ice Center, all of a sudden you start hearing about people who, before, weren't being served geographically and they want to get back into hockey." Ford Ice Center is a 90,000-square-foot building just 11 miles outside of Nashville in the suburb of Antioch. Officially opened in September 2014, it's a facility that breathes life into the community. "The community needed this," said Danny Butler, general manager of Ford Ice Center. "We're incredibly excited to bring it to them and to be a part of it." Rink Revitalization Ford Ice Center sits on an old mall prop- erty in Antioch. Through the 1980s and 1990s, the mall produced plenty of tourists and traffic south of downtown Nashville. "When the mall died off, the area did, too," Butler said of the former Hickory Hollow Mall. "But I've been out here since January (2014) and you can already see the impact the arena is making on the town. Restaurants are starting to remodel and people are buzzing around the area. "It's a town that desperately needs some- thing and is an area that needs a little help. That's what we're proud to be a part of." Ford Ice Center is just one component of a public-private partnership between the Nashville Predators and Metro Nashville Government. The intention is to not only grow hockey in the nontradi- tional area, but also create an experience unique to the community. Along with the rink, a library, recreation center and 6-acre park are included on the property that is under a 25-year lease. "The community couldn't be more excited to have this (property) in Antioch," Butler said. "It's going to be a kick-starter here and it brings a smile to their eyes to know that this community is really start- ing to turn around." In High Demand Though Nashville is a nontraditional skat- ing and hockey market, that hasn't slowed the need for ice time. "The absolute demand is there," said Butler. "We have 18 high school teams that expand every year, the Junior Predators organization has seven to eight teams expanding every year, and there are plenty of travel teams always looking for ice. "After you leave Nashville, the closest rink is 100 miles away, so we are able to help that." 16 / NOVEMBER.DECEMBER.2014 RINKMAGAZINE.COM Ford Ice Center Growing Hockey in Middle Tennessee // by JESSI PIERCE Featured Rink Ford Ice Center | | Nashville, Tenn. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF FORD ICE CENTER Nashville

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