‘It’s a Great Day,’ Maple Grove Community Center Expansion Begins
Amid sweltering heat late Friday afternoon, Maple Grove civic leaders celebrated something that will soon be much cooler.
Officials gathered for the groundbreaking of the Maple Grove Community Center expansion project on Friday. Phase One of the project includes adding an NHL-sized sheet of ice with bleaching seating for about 375 fans. The project will also refurbish the facility’s two other skating rinks.
“I’m feeling really excited because this is a long-term plan that’s finally starting to come to fruition, and people should be excited,” said Maple Grove Mayor Mark Steffenson. “It’s a great day.”
Phase One will also add more locker rooms.
“Right now we don’t have enough locker rooms for everybody,” said Steffenson, noting how players have had to dress in the hallway.
Construction on the expansion to Maple Grove Community Center, including a third sheet of ice, has begun.
Planning for the expansion has been going on for more than five years. Once finished, the expansion and renovation aims to suit the needs of the area for decades to come.
“It will be a perfect place for our citizens to really enjoy the services that we’re providing,” said Steffenson.
The $116 million project is largely funded by a half-cent sales tax that voters approved in 2022.
The facility is a regional draw. Officials say 55 percent of people who use the community center are non-Maple Grove residents.
Other improvements include renovating the banquet facility, allowing it to overlook nearby West Arbor Lake.
The work is expected to go quickly with Phase One due for completion in just over a year.
Also See: Maple Grove Community Center Expansion Construction Begins
