The traditional gear of hard hats and shovels gave way to hockey sticks and the whack of slap shots at the groundbreaking ceremony for the largest ice and sports complex in the southeastern United States.
The 150,000-square-foot sports facility in Wesley Chapel is expected to become a major tourism draw.
Roughly 100 people attended the Feb. 24 groundbreaking festivities to celebrate the $20 million project.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
The facility is expected to be popular with youth hockey leagues and to attract international hockey tournaments. But other sports including figure skating, basketball, soccer, lacrosse and even curling will be possible in a chameleon-like facility that can accommodate a variety of playing fields and sports.
It’s a dream come true for Canadian-born Gordie Zimmermann, managing partner of Z Mitch LLC and former general manager at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon. He and business partner George Mitchell are the project’s developers.
“I really love hockey,” Zimmermann said. “We saw a lack of ice in the area. Kids can’t practice enough.”
The as-yet unnamed facility will open in fall 2015 at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., off Interstate 75 at the State Road 56 interchange in Wesley Chapel.
It will have four full-size rinks including one Olympic-size hockey rink. There also will be a removable ice rink pad that can be converted for multiple uses including non-sports activities such as dog shows and graduation ceremonies.
Florida Hospital officials announced a 10-year partnership with the ice and sports complex. The hospital, which purchased naming rights for the complex, will provide educational programs on sports performance and injury prevention.
Zimmermann and the hospital are sponsoring a contest to name the ice and sports complex. Suggestions can be made through March 10 at WesleyChapelIceCenter.com.
Molly Flanagan, 14, and her sister, Abby Flanagan, 11, can’t wait for the new ice rink to open. They play for the Lady Vipers hockey team and practice at a rink in Oldsmar.
“It’s good to be able to be close to an ice rink,” said Molly. “It’s going to be a good facility.”
And, she can hone skills that might one day land her a spot on the U.S. Olympics women’s hockey team. “It would be a dream come true,” she said.
Abby Flanagan revels in the physical nature of the game and breaking down stereotypes. “It’s doing what people say we (girls) can’t do,” she said. “They think it’s a man’s sport. I like showing we girls can do what a man does.”
The sisters have received instruction from Anne Schleper, a silver medalist on the U.S. women’s hockey team in 2014. Schleper, 25, is preparing for world championships next month in Sweden.
The complex could become an optional training site for athletes of all ages and all levels of play, potentially from all over the country, Schleper said.
“It’s going to be a great facility for us to use,” she said.
She grew up in Minnesota but lives now in Pasco County. To some a warm weather state might seem an unlikely choice for ice hockey training, but Schleper said, “The hockey fan base is huge here. They are dedicated fans.”
The Tampa Bay Lightning organization plans to use the facility for some of its “on ice” programs including clinics and camps for youth and young adults.
“We look forward to working with the ice complex in growing the game of hockey across the Tampa Bay region,” said Jay Feaster, executive director of the Lightning’s community hockey development.
Jeff Novotny, immediate past president of the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, has a personal reason to welcome the arrival of the ice and sports complex. His 13-year-old daughter, Madison, plays for the Lady Vipers.
Recently, a hockey tournament in Tampa drew 66 teams that had to play at four different locations. Almost 40 percent were from outside the Tampa Bay area, and Novotny said some teams had to stay at hotels at great distances from the game sites.
The complex will allow consolidation of locations and where people stay, giving Pasco County’s economy a boost, he said. “They need hotels and restaurants,” he added. “People have to fill up with gas and find things to do at night for entertainment. It’s a dream engine for giving people something to do. It’s all related to the economy.”
Published March 4, 2015
