Rink

May/June 2011

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together to get the project built. The Sports Facility Development and Management Group LLC runs the Vadnais Sports Center, but the city has the option to buy the facility for $1 plus the remaining funding on the bonds. Visitors enter the Sports Center through its huge glass entryway and walk into the 25-foot-wide lobby. "We wanted to make the Sports Center a focal point for the community," lead developer Mark Bigelbach said, "so it was important that we designed a facility where people want to come for sports, but also as a place where people can connect with their friends and families." Walking into the facility, visitors are greeted by the sight of people sitting at the many tables and booths talking with friends and family or working on the free public Wi-Fi. There is also a variety of options for food, including vending machines, a concession stand or they can go to Sak's Bar and Restaurant, where they can enjoy a family meal or a drink while watching sports on one of the 24 flat screen HD TVs. The Tousley Ford Rink can seat 1,300 fans for games and contains two of the nicest high school locker rooms in the country. The White Bear Lake High School Varsity Boys and Girls teams each have their own locker room equipped with personal lockers for each player, a stereo system, video projector and equip- ment, and both programs have their own coaches' rooms. The second rink is the Bremer Bank Rink, which is home to White Bear Lake Youth Hockey, Maplewood Figure Skating and the Minnesota Warriors, a disabled veteran hockey team. The Minnesota Warriors consists of veterans that served in any branch of the United States military, male or female, and no hockey experience is needed. The Minnesota Warriors have both a standing team and a sled team. In order for the Bremer Bank Rink to be the home to the Minnesota Warriors, Becker Arena Products specifically made the boards accessible for sled hockey play- ers. Connected to the usual player boxes is another set of player boxes specifically designed for sled hockey players. These boxes have plastic instead of rubber 18 R INK MAGAZ INE May/June 2011 STARrinks.com • Year building opened: 2010 • Square footage of building and land: Ice arena: 80,000 square feet; dome: 100,000 square feet; retail space: 20,000 square feet • Tenants: White Bear Lake High School hockey, White Bear Lake youth hockey, Maplewood Figure Skating Club, Minnesota Legacy Hockey (AAA), Minnesota Warriors, Hamline University Men's Hockey • Size and number of ice/inline surfaces: 2 NHL regulation ice rinks, 1.5 turfed soccer field, 100-meter track and 3 batting cages inside the dome • Number of locker rooms/party rooms: 11 locker rooms and one conference room • Type of rink floors (sand/concrete): 1 sand, 1 concrete • Type & manufacturer of refrigeration system: Rink Tec International industrial indirect system using environmentally friendly R507 and glycol • Manufacturer of dasher boards: Becker Arena Products • Height of glass & netting: Glass 6' and netting 10' • Type of lighting in arena: 6 lamp T5HO fixtures above rinks, 2x 4 T8 fixtures in most spaces, strip fixtures in mechanical/electrical rooms, occupancy sensor control • Year, model, fuel source and manufacture of ice resurfacer(s): One 2011 Zamboni 552 electric and One 2000 Zamboni 552 electric • Seating capacity: Tousley Ford Rink 1,300; Bremer Bank Rink 350 • Hourly rate of ice time during prime time: $180 • Listing of all skating programs: North Star Skate School, Maplewood Figure Skating, White Bear Youth Hockey Association, Showcase Hockey, Northland Hockey Group • Significant events hosted at the facility: High school hockey games, multiple youth tournaments • Other features: Retail space, restaurant, pro shop, Attached to Sak's Sports Bar, are outlots for future retail space on the property • Any national ranked athletes training at facility: Figure skater Colton Johnson (13 years old): Upper Great Lakes Intermediate Men's Regional Champion, Junior National Competitor • Number of STAR Trained employees (CIT or 5 STAR): One CIT • Interesting tidbit or fact about facility: Bremer Bank Rink has special players boxes for sled hockey participants. The boxes are designed specifically for sled hockey players to slide off the ice into the box without getting off of their sleds. Vadnais Sports Center A 100,000-square-foot dome is connected to the hockey rinks. Hockey players, parents and fans can enjoy Sak's Bar and Restaurant connected to the Vadnais Sports Center. JIM ROSVOLD JIM ROSVOLD featured rink info

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