Raise the brooms in salute? Well, not quite yet. Several things will have to fall in place before the Triangle Curling Club realizes its dream, reported in a news story last week, of building the state’s first curling-specific facility. Until then, local curlers – yes, there are some – will keep sliding their polished stones and sweeping them down the ice at rented rinks.

The new curling center would be near the northern tip of the Research Triangle Park, just off the Durham Freeway. Right now the club has about 80 members and expects to grow once it has a permanent home.

With an estimated cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, it might seem that the relatively small club is on thin ice with this ambitious project, but curling enthusiasts are indeed enthusiastic about their sport, which is both social and competitive. With all the northern transplants in the Triangle, including a large Canadian contingent, the rocks could be sliding towards the house (you could look it up) before the 2014 Winter Olympics. And if there’s still no hockey by then, this could be really big.