Formerly Raleigh Iceplex, one of the city’s original ice rinks is getting bigger
Polar Ice Raleigh, formerly Raleigh Iceplex, is getting supersized.
One of the city’s original public ice rinks — and, at one point, the original practicing space for the Carolina Hurricanes — it’s now being transformed into a “twin-sheet” ice arena.
Its owners, American Skating Entertainment Centers (ASEC) and Ammons Ventures, recently purchased six acres of adjoining land at 2601 Raleigh Blvd. for $2.5 million.
They’re now spending $5 million for expansion upgrades to meet the region’s growing demand for ice sports facilities.
“We operate seven sheets of ice, and they’re exceptionally full,” Michael Baxter, Polar Ice’s general manager, told The N&O. “We’ve got close to 1,300 players just playing in-house youth hockey, and upwards of 2,000 adults. There’s also another 700 playing travel hockey, then 250 figure skaters and their coaches. The demand for ice is pretty great.”
The complex has an Olympic-sized rink, roughly 200 feet long by 100 feet wide. Developers plan to build a National Hockey League regulation-sized hockey rink, 200 feet long by 85 feet wide toward the back of the building. They will also add seating, locker room facilities and a lobby.
Founded in 2006, ASEC is one of the largest owners of ice skating and indoor sports facilities nationwide. It owns 21 facilities, including five Polar Ice-branded rinks in Wake County.
Their partner is Raleigh-based Ammons Ventures, led by Jeff Ammons, the Raleigh developer behind the twin-rink ice skating venue Wake Competition Center in Morrisville. It opened in 2020, just a few miles from PNC Arena, and is the permanent practice facility for the Hurricanes, the Junior Hurricanes and the Accelerator School, which specializes in hockey and soccer training.
The partners purchased the former Raleigh Iceplex in 2017, with plans to expand.
Mike Baxter, ASEC’s southeastern senior vice president, said the project “further strengthens the partners’ commitment to ice sports in the Triangle region.”
Part of the Carolina Hurricanes’ past
Built in 1976, Polar Ice Raleigh is the second oldest rink in the area. (Cary Ice House, which ASEC also owns, was the first ice rink in the Raleigh area. Originally built as a roller-skating rink in 1978, it was converted into an ice-skating rink in 1986.)
In 1997, when the Carolina Hurricanes first came to town after relocating from Hartford, Connecticut, Polar Ice Raleigh became the franchise’s original practice facility.
“They were probably in this building for four or five years, until another rink down the road opened up,” Baxter said.
The new owners say they’re ready to usher in a new era of the facility. Construction is slated to begin in 2024.
Raleigh-based architectural firm New City Design is working on preliminary drawings “in order to expedite the planning, design and approval process,” Baxter said. “We’re excited to get this done as soon as possible.”
This story was originally published September 11, 2023 at 8:00 AM.
