The next phase of the renovation of the University of Maine’s Alfond Arena will begin this spring.
It is part of facilities upgrades at the university that have been funded by a $170 million gift from the Harold Alfond Foundation.
The Alfond Arena renovation will cost $45 million, according to UMaine athletic director Jude Killy, and he said university officials are hoping it will be completed by the end of 2025.
WBRC Inc. (Bangor) and Crawford Architects (Kansas City, Missouri) will be the architects, PC Construction (Portland) will execute the construction management and Forty Nine Degrees (Coldwater, Ohio) will lead the internal branding efforts.
On Wednesday, the university outlined the renovation, which comes after the initial phase was completed prior to the current season.
The first phase included a new high-definition center-hung scoreboard; additional LED end zone displays and an LED ribbon board courtesy of an arrangement between the school and ANC, an audio-visual integration company.
The upcoming phase will include a new film room for the players on the men’s and women’s hockey teams that can seat 42 people; new modernized locker rooms with the latest technology; new and renovated offices for the coaching and support staffs; a new spacious concourse with renovated concession stands and ticket office along with a new area for the Bear Necessities merchandise store and a Hall of Fame area celebrating the hockey program’s accomplishments.
There will also be a new entrance to the concourse that will include an origami design.
The Shawn Walsh Hockey Center in the arena will be upgraded with state-of-the-art sports medicine and strength-and-conditioning spaces. There will be hydrotherapy cold and hot tubs and a newly designed area with upgraded training equipment and nutrition areas.
The Dexter Lounge will also undergo a major upgrade including an improved entrance for premium seat holders.
Prior to the completion of the first phase, the Alfond Arena hadn’t had a major upgrade since a $4.85 million project in 2011.
UMaine third-year men’s hockey coach Ben Barr said the renovations will move the facility into the upper half of the facilities in the 11-team Hockey East men’s league.
“It’s awesome,” said Barr.
Alfond Arena was completed in 1977 and is the fifth oldest facility in Hockey East behind Northeastern’s Matthews Arena (1921), the University of Vermont’s Gutterson Fieldhouse (1963), Merrimack’s Lawler Rink (1972) and Providence College’s Schneider Arena (1973).
Schneider Arena underwent a massive renovation in 2012-13 and Lawler Arena and Gutterson Fieldhouse have undergone renovations in the last two years.
The rink renovations will help recruiting according to Barr.
He said they already have an “unbelievable game-day environment” with their loyal fan support as a prime recruiting tool but said college athletics is an “arms race” these days.
So if the other programs have something they don’t, it can hurt recruiting.
“This will make a huge difference,” he said.
Killy said the renovations are in line with the retention of Barr, who received a pay raise from $255,000 to $425,000 beginning in July after leading his current UMaine team to the program’s first 20-win season since the 2011-12 campaign.
“It is consistent with our vision,” said Killy.