new $39 million sports arena announced for colorado college

Officials with Colorado College have announced a partnership with the City of Colorado Springs that it is hoped will result in the construction of a new $39 million sports arena.
That arena will be used primarily by the school’s Tiger Hockey team, but will also be built to accommodate other sporting events.
Set for construction in downtown Colorado Springs, the Edward J. Robson Arena will go up on the campus of Colorado College, between E. Cache La Poudre Street and E. Dale Street.
The school’s hockey team, which has been a sports mainstay in Colorado Springs since the late 1930s, is currently playing at the Broadmoor World Arena, some 6 miles to the southeast of the planned site.
The new facility, according to Colorado College officials, will have a 3,000-seat capacity, with flexible floor space, and will feature in-house television production services.
“This is a game-changer, both for Colorado College and downtown Colorado Springs,” said Ken Ralph, the director of athletics at Colorado College, in a statement. “This is one of those rare circumstances where it is a win for all involved.”
If all goes as planned, around $30 million of the project will be paid for by the college, with the remaining $9 million coming from bonds through the state’s Regional Tourism Act.
The RTA was established nearly a decade ago to establish a system of funding for regional tourism projects in Colorado. Applicant projects have to first be approved by the Colorado Economic Development Commission.
That body is expected to vote on funding the new Colorado College arena in September.
If all goes as hoped, work could begin on the arena later this year, with a spring 2020 completion date.
Founded in 1874, the four-year private Colorado College has a current enrollment of around 2,000.

By Garry Boulard

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