NEW: Proposed new ice arena comes before Watertown City Council again tonight  (Audio)

July 19, 2021
Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.–The Watertown City Council will vote tonight on whether to spend more than $300,000 toward the development of a proposed new ice arena.

The money would go to the 292 Design Group ($15,500) and the TEGRA Group ($293,000) for design and consulting services respectively.

The city is seeking preliminary designs, drawings and a cost estimate for a two-sheet ice facility that would have a seating capacity of 1,250.

City documents indicate one sheet would be frozen for about 10 months of the year; the other for about six months of the year, leaving it open for other events such as trade shows or wedding receptions to fulfill the goal of making it a multi-use facility.

Last week, Dick Strassburg of the TEGRA Group laid out a timeline for producing designs and cost information…

Strassburg says he’s recommending the city start with a, “base model,” and go from there…

Mayor Ried Holien addressed potential costs for this project…

Early estimates are that the arena would cost in the $17 to $20 million range.