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Z Mitch

Hockey complex to open in December

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It’s almost here.

The highly-anticipated Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex is slated to open in mid-December.

According to Gordie Zimmermann, a developer with Z Mitch, the complex’s “soft opening” may occur somewhere between Dec. 10 and Dec. 15.

Dasher Boards in Rink C were installed on Oct. 25. The facility has five ice rinks, a multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-square-foot fitness facility and an indoor sprint track. (Photos courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)
Dasher Boards in Rink C were installed on Oct. 25. The facility has five ice rinks, a multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-square-foot fitness facility and an indoor sprint track.
(Photos courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)

The facility’s grand opening, he said, will likely be held sometime in early January.

In May, officials said the 150,500-square-foot complex would open in late October.

But, weather setbacks and technological hurdles has delayed the $20 million project, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel.

Now, the complex is undergoing a “four-to-five week” project-commissioning period.

“There’s a lot of things that have to happen,” Zimmermann said of the commissioning period. “There’s a lot of flushing of the big, main pipes. Then they’ve got to test all the controls, and all the motors and compressors.”

The complex operates off a single refrigeration package, which also serves as a dehumidification system. The process is multifaceted, Zimmermann said.

“The whole system is connected,” Zimmermann said, “so in order for it to be running like a charm, everything has to balance — the ice on all the rinks, (and) the dehumidifiers.”

Zimmermann, who helped develop the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, added it typically takes about three to four days to finish a sheet of ice for each rink.

The Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex is set to open in mid-December. The $20 million, 150,500-square-foot facility is located at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel.
The Florida Hospital Center Ice hockey complex is set to open in mid-December. The $20 million, 150,500-square-foot facility is located at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel.

Described as the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States, the finished building will house five ice rinks, a multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-square-foot fitness facility and an indoor sprint track.

The multipurpose floor will be used for several sports, including roller hockey, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse and soccer.

There also will be a full-service family restaurant on the second floor and five party rooms totaling 17,000 square feet.

Once the facility opens to the public, Zimmermann said the “Learn to Skate” program will be offered first, followed by various recreational and in-house youth leagues.

Registration for those programs will soon be available on the Center Ice website, Zimmermann said.

Meanwhile, other activities — public skating and pickup hockey games — will take place.

“The first thing that’s really going to happen in a big way here is the skating,” Zimmermann said. “We have some big group events that are scheduling with us, and then shortly into the February timeframe, we have a lot of tournaments starting up and running all the way through July.”

While membership and league fees are not yet readily available, Zimmermann said each program will have “pretty competitive pricing.”

“Everything’s going to be in relation to what you typically see in the market — it’s not like a big upswing or anything like that,” he explained.

Center Ice expects to be a haven for several local high school club teams, which are part of the Tampa Bay Lightning High School Hockey League. High schools like Freedom, Mitchell, Wharton and Wiregrass Ranch have expressed interest in using the facility for regular practices and games.

“You’re looking at four or five high schools making this their home,” said Zimmermann, who coaches hockey at Wiregrass Ranch. “We’re going to be able to give them more ice time.”

Officials believe the massive facility will ultimately attract 1.5 million to 2 million visitors annually, with 40 percent coming from outside Tampa Bay.

For information, visit FloridaHospitalCenterIce.com.

Florida Hospital Center Ice
Facility overview
The 150,500-square-foot complex will be the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States. Here are some details:

  • One Olympic-size rink (200 feet by 100 feet)
  • Two North American standard-size rinks (200 feet by 85 feet)
  • One multipurpose sports floor/ice pad-multipurpose pad conversion
  • A 2,600-square-foot fitness facility
  • An indoor sprint track and conditioning area
  • An onsite athletic trainers and sports performance program
  • Five corporate/birthday party rooms
  • A family sport restaurant
  • Private and public locker rooms
  • A hockey skills training area
  • A revolving entrance door to control inside temperature environment

Florida Hospital Center Ice will have numerous programs and uses, including:

  • Local, regional, national and international hockey tournaments
  • University and high school teams’ practices and games
  • Recreational leagues
  • Hockey development programs
  • Roller and street hockey
  • Camps, clinics, multisport training
  • Curling
  • Figure skating
  • Public skating, birthday parties
  • Sled hockey
  • Indoor sports: box lacrosse, volleyball, basketball
  • Sports Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention programs
  • Corporate events, public meetings

Published November 2, 2016

Center Ice to open in October

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The walls are up, the ice has been poured, and droves of hockey players soon will visit Pasco County.

A hard-hat tour of the 150,500-square-foot Florida Hospital Center Ice Complex revealed significant progress of the $20 million project, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel.

Ice was poured on the rinks just a few weeks ago. There will be four full-size rinks, and one mini-rink. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)
Ice was poured on the rinks just a few weeks ago. There will be four full-size rinks, and one mini-rink.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)

A crowd of more than one hundred Pasco county business leaders and representatives toured the facility recently to learn about its features, and about available programs and sponsorship opportunities.

The facility is set to open “sometime in late October,” with a soft opening expected earlier, officials said.

Described as the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States, the building will house five ice rinks, a multipurpose sports floor, a 2,600-square-foot fitness facility and an indoor sprint tack.

There also will be a full-service family restaurant on the second floor and five party rooms totaling 17,000 square feet. Several corporate events have already been booked.

Florida Hospital also will have an office there, focusing specifically on enhancing sports performance and injury prevention.

“We’ve come a long way on this project (since) when we were looking at just an empty field,” said George Mitchell of Z Mitch, the facility’s developer. “It took a lot of imagination from the beginning.”

An indoor track is one of the more unique features at Florida Hospital Center Ice.
An indoor track is one of the more unique features at Florida Hospital Center Ice.

Officials believe the massive facility will attract 1.5 million to 2 million visitors annually, with 40 percent coming from outside Tampa Bay.

Former hockey pro Gordie Zimmermann, a Z Mitch partner, said the colossal edifice is creating a buzz as far north as Toronto and Montreal, two hockey-crazed cities.

“People up there are already talking about this building,” Zimmermann said. “We had some teams up there that are in the junior leagues that actually want to come down here and do training camps and tournaments here.

“It’s going to be great for our community to have the tournaments and programs — like the girls’ Olympic (hockey) team training, world-class figure skaters, USPHL (United States Professional Hockey League) teams here; we’re really looking at a top to bottom programming,” he added.

Zimmermann, who was an integral cog in developing the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, visited approximately 500 ice rinks throughout North America to conceptualize the Wesley Chapel venue.

Area business leaders and representatives were on hand for a hard-hat tour. They learned about available programs and sponsorship opportunities.
Area business leaders and representatives were on hand for a hard-hat tour. They learned about available programs and sponsorship opportunities.

One of the complex’s features that is drawing quite a bit interest from hockey directors in Canada isn’t even ice-related — it’s the indoor sprint track.

Zimmermann said more hockey players and athletes are using sprint tracks for conditioning, but Canada’s bitter cold temperatures make it difficult to train outdoors year-round.

“A lot of those program directors up there were looking at our website, saying, ‘Wow, you’ve got an indoor sport track to train on.’ They thought that was really good; that’s an attraction for them,” Zimmermann said.

Zimmermann already has a hockey and skating department in place.

Kevin Wolter, who spent 30 years within the USA Hockey Coaching Education program, was named as the facility’s general manager. Shari Trotter, the figure skating director at the Ashburn Ice House in Washington D.C., was hired to serve as the facility’s executive figure skating director.

Moreover, two maintenance staff members will be coming aboard in June to begin managing the facility’s refrigeration program.

In total, 20 full-time and 30 part-time employees will be working at the facility, Zimmermann said.

The initial opening was set for October 2015, but it was delayed by the weather and issues with the installation of the refrigeration system.

Florida Hospital Center Ice
Facility overview
The 150,500-square-foot complex will be the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States. Here are some details:

  • One Olympic-size rink (200 feet by 100 feet)
  • Two North American standard-size rinks (200 feet by 85 feet)
  • One multipurpose sports floor/ice pad-multipurpose pad conversion
  • A 2,600-square-foot fitness facility
  • An indoor sprint track and conditioning area
  • An onsite athletic trainers and sports performance program
  • Five corporate/birthday party rooms
  • A family sport restaurant
  • Private and public locker rooms
  • A hockey skills training area
  • A revolving entrance door to control inside temperature environment

Florida Hospital Center Ice will have numerous programs and uses, including:

  • Local, regional, national and international hockey tournaments
  • University and high school teams’ practices and games
  • Recreational leagues
  • Hockey development programs
  • Roller and street hockey
  • Camps, clinics, multisport training
  • Figure skating
  • Public skating, birthday parties
  • Sled hockey
  • Indoor sports: box lacrosse, volleyball, basketball
  • Sports Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention programs
  • Corporate events, public meetings

Published June 4, 2016

Hockey complex making progress

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After a few setbacks, the Florida Hospital Center Ice complex may open sometime before Labor Day.

Initially, the opening for the $20 million project, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., had been slated for last October.

However, weather and installation of the refrigeration system pushed back the timetable for the 150,000-square foot complex.

The construction of Florida Hospital Center Ice has undergone a few setbacks, due to weather and technological hurdles. Initially slated to open in October 2015, the target date for completion is now late summer of this year. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)
The construction of Florida Hospital Center Ice has undergone a few setbacks, due to weather and technological hurdles. Initially slated to open in October 2015, the target date for completion is now late summer of this year.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)

Developer Gordie Zimmerman, of Z Mitch, said the facility’s opening is currently “at the mercy of the refrigeration company.”

“It’s not your average double-ice rink that you see in this area,” said Zimmerman, who helped develop the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon. “To build five rinks in one building under one system, it really is a technological challenge — like going to the moon.

“We have (the issue) resolved. We just don’t know exactly the timeframe.”

Once complete, the complex will have four full-size ice rinks, and a mini-rink for ice hockey and figure skating — making it the largest ice rink complex in the Southeast.

Additionally, the facility will be multipurpose for other sports like basketball, soccer, lacrosse and volleyball.

“We can do a lot of other different things that other facilities— whether they’re a single sheet or a double sheet— can’t do. We have the ability to do more programming at the same time,” Zimmerman explained

“This facility is going to open up a lot of avenues, not just for hockey, but for figure skating, street hockey and multiple sports,” he said.

Zimmerman isn’t quite sure yet what membership costs or membership totals will be, but he said “we’ll probably double the size of USA Hockey membership in the Bay Area once we come on line.”

The facility expects to staff “somewhere in the area” of 20 full-time and 30 part-time employees, Zimmerman said.

“We have taken in probably 100 resumes…from people of interest,” he said. “We’re really looking for ice maintenance (employees)…because of all the new technology.”

Zimmerman already has a hockey department staff in place, and recently hired Shari Trotter, the figure skating director at the Ashburn Ice House in Washington D.C., to serve as the executive figure skating director for Center Ice.

Pasco County tourism manager Ed Caum said the sprawling facility will increase tourism and have a “major economic impact” for the Tampa area.

He believes it will “create a buzz,” from Pasco County to Bradenton.

“People will start calling us the ‘Ice-75’ corridor. From all the way up here to the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, there’s going to be a massive, massive need for time on the ice,” Caum said.

The tourism manager noted the facility will draw regional events, and perhaps, down the line, will attract national and international events, too.

“You can go after the USA Curling Championships. You can go after your artistic and dance-type events, and you can go after your big events like the NCAA Frozen Four.

“I know that (Zimmerman) does have a lot of friends up in Canada from when he played professionally, so I think we’ll see some international-type tournaments held in there, because people in the business know Gordie.”

While Caum doesn’t have a dollar figure on the amount of revenue Center Ice is expected to bring to Pasco County, he knows there’s already significant interest, because the county has five hotels in development.

“We don’t have the room stock that Hillsborough County does, so the economic impact is going to be shared with Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties, because it’s going to be a regional draw,” Caum explained. “We’ve got good partners, and everybody’s going to benefit from this. …Even if people come here to skate at the ice center, they may want to stay on the beach or they may want to stay in Channelside.

However the tourists come, he said, “everybody wins.”

Published February 24, 2016

Wesley Chapel complex to help ‘Build the Thunder’

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A recently announced $6 million initiative aimed at expanding the game of hockey regionally in Tampa Bay will be partially played out at the Florida Hospital Center Ice, a hockey complex expected to open in Wesley Chapel in the spring.

Lightning Chairman Jeff Vinik announced the “Build the Thunder” initiative on Sept. 14.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, the National Hockey League and the National Hockey League Players’ Association are collaborating on the five-year program that aims to help develop hockey players and to teach life skills lessons to area youth.

A news release from Tampa Bay Lightning outlines the program’s components. They involve:

  • Distributing 100,000 street hockey sticks and balls to third-graders through fifth-graders
  • Offering 10,000 hours of training opportunities for players and coaches
  • Increasing the number of local youth, ages 7 through 13, registered with USA Hockey by 1,000
  • Utilizing Lightning players, coaches and alumni to mentor 100 at-risk youths from diverse backgrounds
  • Establishing 10 new junior varsity hockey programs for aspiring high school players

JP Morgan Chase and Bauer Hockey are also partnering on the program, according to the release.

Florida Hospital Center Ice is expected to play a role in the recently announced $6 million initiative to ‘Build the Thunder.’ The complex is expected to open in the spring, off State Road 56 and Interstate 75. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)
Florida Hospital Center Ice is expected to play a role in the recently announced $6 million initiative to ‘Build the Thunder.’ The complex is expected to open in the spring, off State Road 56 and Interstate 75.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)

Gordie Zimmermann, a partner in Z Mitch, expects Florida Hospital Center Ice to play an important role in the efforts to build the game of hockey regionally.

The initiative begins with street hockey, with a goal for some players to make the transition from street hockey to the ice, Zimmermann said.

“They’re going to work with all of the community rinks in the area. They’re eagerly awaiting the completion of our facility because what they need is ice, to make that transition from the street hockey to the ice,” Zimmermann said.

“Right now, there’s about 1,000 kids in the Bay area that are USA Hockey members. They want to grow that to a minimum of 2,000,” he said. “That’s very difficult to do without the ice.”

More ice also is needed to accommodate junior varsity programs, said Zimmermann, who coaches Wiregrass Ranch High School’s hockey team.

“The ice right now is booked. It’s very difficult to get a practice or any type of additional ice,” he said.

When Florida Hospital Center Ice opens, there will be significantly more ice available.

The new complex will include one Olympic-size rink, three NHL-size rinks and one kid-size rink.

It will have hockey leagues and skating programs for people of all ages, and will be able to convert to accommodate basketball, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, tennis and other sports.

“One of our sheets is a multipurpose area. That’s an area where we’ll be able to do the street hockey. We’re going to be working with the Lightning on doing a tournament for the area,” Zimmermann said.

“Right now, Florida is fourth in memberships overall for USA Hockey in the country. When our rink comes online, we’re going to be up there in the top two,” Zimmermann said.

Florida Hospital Center Ice initially was expected to open in October, but that opening has been delayed until the spring.

The delay is due to working out refrigeration and structural design issues, Zimmermann said.

“The thing is, we’re building an ice rink in Florida, and we’re using a new technology as far as how that building is built and how it is mechanically designed,” Zimmermann said.

“We just want to make it right. We don’t want to have issues down the road,” he said.

Zimmermann doesn’t anticipate any additional delays.

There was no activity last week at the site, which is off of State Road 56, near Interstate 75, but Zimmermann expects that to change soon.

“We’re actually going to get our footer work started this month,” he said.

Published September 23, 2015

Hockey complex to open in spring

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An anticipated opening for the Florida Hospital Center Ice complex will be delayed until spring 2016, largely due to a slower than expected wait on permitting.

Gordie Zimmermann, a partner in Z Mitch, said he expects construction to resume in the next weeks, with a scheduled completion in the first quarter of 2016.

“We’re in good shape,” Zimmermann said.

Initially, the opening for the sports complex, at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., had been announced for the fall, potentially at the same time as the Tampa Premium Outlets. The outlet mall will open on Oct. 29.

Construction of the Florida Hospital Center Ice sports complex is slated to start again soon after a delay in obtaining permits. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)
Construction of the Florida Hospital Center Ice sports complex is slated to start again soon after a delay in obtaining permits.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)

Both facilities are off State Road 56 at the Interstate 75 interchange.

A groundbreaking for the sports complex took place in March. The pre-construction work including underground utilities has been completed. But, the site has been inactive for several months.

The rainy season caused some delay, but Zimmermann said much of the slow down was due to mechanical and structural challenges from the refrigeration system for the ice rinks and the air conditioning.

“All that had to be organized properly so it fits,” he said. “It’s complicated.”

Florida Hospital, which purchased naming rights for the complex, is partnering with Z Mitch on the project. The facility’s name – Florida Hospital Center Ice – was announced in May.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel will offer sports performance and injury prevention programs, along with orthopedic and outpatient rehabilitation services.

There will be four full-size ice rinks, and a mini-rink for ice hockey and figure skating. But the facility will be multipurpose for basketball and other sports, including soccer and lacrosse. Curling also is an anticipated sport.

A sports-themed family-style restaurant will be opened. Non-sports activities, such as dog shows and graduation ceremonies, are likely as well.

The sports complex is expected to be a venue that will host regional and even international youth hockey leagues, and global hockey tournaments.

Zimmermann said a hockey day at the site might be held by the end of the year. And, he said figure skating registration could take place in February.

Along with the permitting, Zimmermann said, “We’re moving ahead in proper sequence.”
Published September 16, 2015

Florida Hospital Center Ice skates into view

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A naming contest for the ice rink complex under construction in Wesley Chapel drew some 200 suggestions.

And, the winner is: Florida Hospital Center Ice.

The name and logo were unveiled May 14 by Florida Hospital representatives and Gordie Zimmermann whose company, Z Mitch, is building the 150,000-square-foot ice rink and sports complex.

Hockey fans watch from the sidelines in this interior rendering of Florida Hospital Center Ice, an ice rink and sports complex under construction at the State Road 56 and Interstate 75 interchange. (Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)
Hockey fans watch from the sidelines in this interior rendering of Florida Hospital Center Ice, an ice rink and sports complex under construction at the State Road 56 and Interstate 75 interchange.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Center Ice)

The name is fitting, said Zimmermann, because so much takes place in a rink at center ice. That includes face-offs over hockey pucks and figure skaters waiting for their music cues to begin their programs, he said.

“It truly is a center for sports. It has a good ring to it,” Zimmermann said, of the name for the complex at 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., off State Road 56 and near Interstate 75.

Many of the contest entries adopted “center” as part of the overall name for the ice rink.

“It’s pretty exciting that we had so much interest from the community,” said Denyse Bales-Chubb, the president and chief executive officer at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

The hospital, which purchased naming rights for the complex, is partnering with Z Mitch on the project and will offer sports performance and injury prevention programs. Fitness and wellness programs, as well as orthopedic and outpatient rehabilitation services, also will be provided.

“Not only are we going to be a name on the building, but we’ll have a function inside the building,” Bales-Chubb said.

The complex is headed for a fall 2015 opening, likely around the same time as the nearby Tampa Premium Outlets opens, Zimmermann said.

Pre-construction work is nearly finished, and Zimmermann anticipates building construction to be underway by summer.

The facility is expected to have regional and even international appeal from youth hockey leagues to global hockey tournaments.

“We’re getting a lot of people nationwide and in Canada who are interested,” Zimmermann said.

There will be four full-sized ice rinks and a mini-rink. A removable pad will be able to double as a multi-purpose floor for basketball and other sports, including soccer and lacrosse.

A sports-themed family-style restaurant also is planned. Non-sports activities, such as dog shows and graduation ceremonies, are likely as well.

Some open house events will be sponsored this summer, Zimmermann said.

One sport that might find a home at the ice rink is curling.

University of South Florida graduate Tabitha Holden can hardly wait. She became a curling enthusiast during the last Winter Olympics.

She and other USF students joined together to find team members and a coach and donors willing to pledge funding for a curling league. But they soon learned the biggest hurdle is finding a facility that can accommodate special icing needs for curling.

Holden, 27, hasn’t given up though. Florida Hospital Center Ice could be just the place they need.

“This is a really cool game,” Holden said.

Published May 20, 2015