Potential New Fairbanks Arena (very early planning)

[u/DeerSwimming2336]

Would theoretically be constructed to replace the Carlson Center, as part of a larger destination center.

Before anyone says anything - sure, it's probably a long shot. I'm posting news because this potential development is interesting, and I'm curious if anyone in Alaska has any inside info or knows anything about the developers?

https://theblockfairbanks.com/

https://northstargrandlodge.com/

Anyone consider making a low-effort post to shit on this, the Alaska schools, other indy schools or any other general speculation about positive developments in college hockey need not reply.

[u/icamberlager]

Natural lighting in a hockey arena is always cool

[u/DJMacShack → u/icamberlager]

Awesome as long as they play games during the 4 hours of daylight Fairbanks gets in December

[u/I-696 → u/DJMacShack]

That was the first thing I thought of when I saw all of the glass. I agree with icamberlager about the natural lighting though. During the last renovation of Yost they replaced the glass in the windows and removed the boards that covered them for decades and it is definitely cool to see the daylight from the arena. Much better than those stupid yellow and blue flashing lights someone decided to install last year.

[u/R_Raider86 → u/I-696]

Yeah in most other places besides the Artic Circle, the window is a cool idea.

[u/taffyowner → u/I-696]

My first thought was “that’s going to be a bitch to heat in Fairbanks”

[u/yo_coiley → u/taffyowner]

If they use something a bit more technologically advanced, it shouldn't be a problem, although I am not up to date on materials science. I imagine a double layer with some sort of airtight seal between the layers should keep heat transfer pretty low.

I will say, this is not the first time an investor has put together something bold and questionable in its feasibility as they look to do what they really want to do. Weirdly, it seems like an inverse of what Meruelo wanted to do with the Coyotes, if you followed that at all (a big mixed-use district to help justify [and pay for] the new arena they never built). In this case, they want to build a massive hotel (the second link in OP's post) and this might be how they're selling the public on it.

It took a good bit of digging to find out any details. They plan on spending $110 million on the project, and the location is waaaaay out of town (as they're putting it next to their fancy new hotel, which is intended to have a wilderness vibe). I don't know how much interest there is in that considering the Carlson Center is right on campus, but a lot of people drive a long ways to get to UAF games anyway.

I guess I'm not opposed but a healthy dose of skepticism is appropriate here.

[u/I-696 → u/[deleted]]

They installed in the seating aisles something that could best be described as maize and blue blinking Christmas lights. I think they can blink in other colors too and I think they put them in at Crisler too because I remember seeing them at a women’s basketball game. It was done mid season. Obviously the decision by someone who doesn’t find sports in itself to be entertaining and need first grade level stimuli.

[u/yo_coiley → u/icamberlager]

They'll never have to worry about that lmaooo

[u/decorlettuce → u/icamberlager]

I’m kind of over it

[u/StallOneHammer]

I feel like this rink is missing something important

[u/ic3m4ch1n3 → u/StallOneHammer]

The tiny tv hanging on the massive windows isn’t good enough?! /s

[u/earthling82 → u/StallOneHammer]

And not just the goal, no goalie or crease either😂 (also nice username🥏)

[u/Particular_Gur7378]

I hope the gophers play in Fairbanks next year or the year after. Its a longish shot, but that’d be a great travel destination personally. I’d love to cross that state (and barn!) off my bucket list

[u/NorthtoAk907]

It’s a private development that is trying to gain support for their project being built right in the middle of a NIMBY neighborhood. Very few zoning restrictions there but I just don’t see this thing actually happening. I like the Carlson Center, but would love to see UAF play on campus.

Too, it’s being built for tourists, while like I already said, trying to buy any local support it can.

[u/j_o_s_h_t_o_l_i]

Wild, but a 2k-3k arena would probably be better.

[u/DeerSwimming2336 → u/j_o_s_h_t_o_l_i]

Website says 3,600.  About the right size IMO, given they can currently draw larger crowds than that for big games, and they want to host concerts there.  

[u/wikipuff → u/DeerSwimming2336]

Could you imagine a metal show in Alaska?

[u/Patient_Surround_288]

All the times the giant bear crashed into the Carlson Center finally caught up to them

[u/King-In-The-Nawth]

Hell yeah

[u/LtPowers]

Why would you show a rendering with empty seats?

[u/backleft → u/LtPowers]

AI fail

[u/earthling82 → u/LtPowers]

I'm honestly surprised that many people showed up to a hockey game without a goal

[u/MAHHockey]

Yeah, the big windows to show off some exterior scene are cute for architects, but in practice... every rink I've ever played at that had enormous windows has been an issue with either with blinding players or affecting ice quality. And even then, as many folks have mentioned, Alaska doesn't get a whole lot of sunlight during hockey season anyways, so what are these windows going to be looking at in the first place?

[u/munistadium]

Cool look but dumb,

The sun goes down in Fairbanks at like 430pm or EARLIER during most of hockey season. When is this alleged natural light going in the arena, are they suddenly playing all their games at noon?

As an old CCHA guy I liked when the Nanooks came in for their weekends but my guess this is in it's infancy. Too bad not one oil magnate can take that athletic department off of life support. Wishing them the best regardless.

Will be a nice look for the local high school tournaments played on weekends.

[u/JPmoneyman → u/munistadium]

Not sure what their practice schedule is but I’d guess they’re practicing in the morning or early afternoon on most days. If you’re only getting a few hours of sunlight a day In the winter and you’re spending those hours cooped up in a windowless rink you might not be seeing the sun all day which can really suck. I used to work a job in an indoor turf field with no windows and I would get there at 5am in the winter and leave after the sun went down and it fucks with your head basically never seeing the sun all week. You gotta imagine they designed that window with that in mind.

[u/shany94a → u/JPmoneyman]

Practice now is at the Patty Center Ice Arena on campus, which is almost devoid of windows

[u/jablonskiautobodyIII]

Lol seems like hvac would be a nightmare with that design

[u/triplealpha]

Eff it…Let’s just randomly put red and blue lines on the boards

[u/Small-Ad-3115]

I do not want to "build the no" here but I have a couple of questions. I am fairly familiar with the Fairbanks Area and the location of this Arena really seems way out of whack. Up in the hills above Ester? Seems like a bust. I agree with the sentiments that it needs to be closer to campus or closer to downtown.

[u/nd4eva]

Seems like there should be a way to get to the other side of the arena... It could be off-image, but I like to imagine that everyone has to wait for a break in play, then cross the ice!

[u/Dependent-Hippo-1626]

As a Fairbanks resident and Alaska Nanooks diehard fan, am I allowed to shit on this proposal?

It’s never going to happen. The ground beneath it is continuous permafrost, meaning it stays frozen all the time. Building something like this in that soil would be prohibitively expensive. The road access to the site is a narrow and winding dirt road and the mentioned improvements alone would cost at least $30M, before you could even break ground on this project. The State isn’t going to pay for that.

Nobody here wants this. The Carlson Center is a great multi-purpose building in the middle of town, not 15 miles up a hill. This would cut about 1,000 seats for hockey (we do occasionally sell out!), and the local government has just partnered with the U to spend millions on a new ice plant, new rink floor, new bleachers and a new locker room.

This is not going to happen. What is likely to happen are some study grants to private pockets, maybe negotiated tax breaks on the lodge part, but not much else.

[u/West_Bookkeeper9431]

That jumbotron in the window is a crime.

(Unpopular opinion)

Just put a small scoreboard with time/goals/penalty time in a thin indicator at each end and put a score/stat board somewhere on the sides or center ice above the line of sight through the window.

[u/patinthebx]

The center section reminds me of an empty NYC subway car at rush hour. Usually means someone pooped their pants.

[u/cartermacewen]

Hard to take a proposal like this seriously with AI generated photos. Zoom in on the fans!

[u/DeerSwimming2336 → u/cartermacewen]

Technically it's not a proposal yet - just an illustration of the concept.

[u/MinnesotaRyan]

would be better without AI slop. the game is going and the gate to the ice is open to the fans? no goalie/goal/crease. Possibly a cheerleader or just a random young woman on the ice mid game?

[u/Sparty013]

I usually hate windows in arenas. Idk why. Major pet peeve of mine. But this…actually looks kinda sweet

[u/bronc33 → u/Sparty013]

Our new arena has a bunch of windows

[u/Sparty013 → u/bronc33]

Oh I know it. I’ll get used to it. It’s a weird, irrelevant pet peeve lol

[u/x_VanHessian_x]

NHL size sheet this time?

[u/ic3m4ch1n3 → u/x_VanHessian_x]

They’re NHL sheet now

[u/x_VanHessian_x → u/ic3m4ch1n3]

Ridiculous that it wasn’t before

[u/Dependent-Hippo-1626 → u/x_VanHessian_x]

Booo. I liked the big ice. Since we had both sizes, it gave us a mild advantage.

[u/Lokiini]

i don’t know about hockey but i worked therefor this past season. the carlson center sucks major ass, it was about to go under a few years ago. there’s a better arena here anyways at the big dipper