March 21, 2023
CHN Staff Report
Western Michigan’s hockey and basketball teams could have a new arena within a few years, thanks to plans presented today to Kalamazoo County.
A developer made its presentation to the Kalamazoo County Commissioners for a $300 million multi-purpose facility it would develop on land in downtown Kalamazoo. The facility would house an 8,000-seat arena, including 6,000 for hockey.
The funding is coming from anonymous investors, with no public funds needed.
“Hearing the news about an opportunity to have a state-of-the-art facility for Bronco Hockey is a game changing announcement for our program as we seek to remain among the best in the nation,” WMU coach Pat Ferschweiler said. “Having a facility that will give our student-athletes every opportunity to train, practice and compete will not only enhance our student-athlete experience but also allows us to recruit elite talent, which can propel us toward our goals of a national championship. There is no question that we can not only provide a competitive arena that finally puts us on par with our competition, but actually exceeds it. To match the best atmosphere in college hockey with a facility built with the fans, our students, and our student-athletes in mind is as exciting an opportunity as I can imagine.”
The Broncos’ current home, Lawson Ice Arena, is an on-campus facility with a capacity of 3.667. It opened in 1974, making it the oldest arena in the NCHC. It has undergone many revovations over the years, most recently in 2016.
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