Though the Chicago Blackhawks organization symbolically broke ground on its new 125,000-square-foot practice facility in June to coincide with the team’s one year anniversary of winning the 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs, the $55 million privately funded project has just received its first construction permit. With the eerily abandoned buildings of Malcolm X college razed and the school moved to its new home across the street, work on the Chicago Blackhawks Community Training Center can now begin in earnest.
As the name suggests, the two-story ice complex will not only serve Chicago’s hometown NHL team but will also be a community asset to the surrounding neighborhood. According to an official release from the Mayor’s Office, the center will host local children's hockey, figure skating, and adult recreational leagues 94 percent of the time.
Designed by Chicago-based architectural firm HOK, the Blackhawks Community Training Center features two regulation sized ice rinks, new locker rooms, team fitness facilities, concessions, a green roof, and parking for 127 cars and 26 bicycles. The near west side project is expected to be complete by December 2017.
- New construction permit at 1801 W Jackson Blvd in Chicago [Chicago Cityscape]
- Chicago Blackhawks Break Ground on New West Side Practice Facility [Curbed Chicago]
- Get a look inside Malcolm X College during its final days [Curbed Chicago]