Details, images released for massive NHL Seattle Ice Centre in Northgate

Following the announcement that Northgate would house a massive NHL practice center, we now have the official designs and details for the proposed NHL Seattle Ice Centre.

RELATED: Project designers say NHL Seattle practice facility will be at Northgate

The 180,000-square-foot facility, set to be built by Seattle Hockey Partners (known also as NHL Seattle), comes with an assortment of state-of-the-art features, including:

• Three regulation NHL ice rinks with seats for 1000 fans in the main rink, and 400 in the other two rinks
• An NHL training facility with locker rooms, and strength and conditioning areas
• Offices for NHL operations and administrative staff
• A restaurant, bar, and retail space
• Ice sports rental, retail shop, and hospitality areas

“As a key component in Northgate’s future, this new practice facility and community hockey center is not just another development project,” said project leader Lance Lopes in a news release from NHL Seattle. “It is the latest cornerstone of the public/private revitalization endeavor to transform Northgate into a thriving pedestrian-friendly, transit-oriented urban center.”

The City of Seattle doesn’t actually have any permanent ice rinks, making this an important addition to the city’s budding hockey community, and more specifically, youth hockey offerings.

“Our goal is to provide access and opportunity to the game of hockey for children of all ages no matter their financial means,” said NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke.

In addition to housing NHL activity, the facility will also play host to adult and youth hockey, training camps, tournaments, figure skating, and public ice skating.

Known more for its mall than its sports community, the Northgate property will soon expand far beyond that.

“We are excited to collaborate with NHL Seattle and make its training center and corporate headquarters a key piece of Northgate’s transformation from a traditional regional shopping mall into a world class transit-oriented mixed-use center,” said Simon Malls COO Michael E. McCarty.

“The transformation of Northgate is a prime example of our ability to create compelling ways for consumers to live, work, play, stay, shop and now skate at their favorite Simon destination,” he adds.

Construction will begin “as soon as feasible… slated to be complete in time for NHL Seattle’s inaugural season,” pending the NHL Board of Governors’ upcoming vote to approve a team in Seattle. The official designs will be submitted to the City of Seattle “shortly.”

You can check out artist renderings of the whole facility below.

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