CHN Staff Report
Northeastern University has filed a letter of intent with the city of Boston to build a new multi-purpose arena on the site where Matthews Arena currently stands.
Matthews Arena has fallen under increased disrepair over recent years, to the point where the ability to sustain the facility with fixes has become unmanageable. It’s expected there are only approximately three years remaining before the arena would be unusable.
According to the filing, “As part of Northeastern University’s ten-year master plan renewal, Northeastern proposed to construct a new, approximately 290,000 (square foot), multi-purpose athletics facility that is anticipated to contain an arena for Northeastern sporting events, and a fieldhouse containing multi-purpose turf, basketball courts, recreational courts, and other accessory uses to support the University’s broader recreation and fitness needs.”
Northeastern University doesn’t currently have any other land it can use to build a new facility while Matthews Arena remains in use. As a result, it will require the teardown of the existing arena, which was first opened in 1910. Often billed as the oldest hockey arena in the world still in use, the original structure actually burned down in 1918 and was rebuilt in 1921. Calumet Colosseum in Michigan has been in continuous use since 1913, though Matthews is certainly the oldest multi-purpose facility, given that it also hosts basketball.
There is not currently an estimated cost to the project, which will still require numerous approvals.
Last year, Northeastern closed off half of the arena area known as the DogHouse, plus the Varsity Club and some offices. The university also put up metal scaffolding to support one end of the building. A recent report also indicated that the ground beneath the arena has become more unstable and toxic over time.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at College Hockey News from CHN…