Building permits for the 32,000-square-foot facility have been issued by the City of Breezy Point. Construction crews will begin moving equipment and supplies onto the site as soon as spring road conditions permit.

Joyce Bzoskie, vice president of Breezy Point Resort’s parent company, Whitebirch, Inc., is in charge of the project.

Whitebirch, owned by Robert Spizzo of Breezy Point, has scheduled an official groundbreaking ceremony for April 15. But excavation at the 16-acre site along County Road 11 about a mile west of Breezy Point Resort could begin as early as April 2.

A diversified real estate development company, Whitebirch has created Breezy Point Sports, Inc. to build and manage the facility, a $2.2 million project in land, construction and equipment costs.

Spizzo, a long-time hockey parent, first proposed building the arena more than four years ago to expand the recreational opportunities for the resort’s guests, as well as for the area’s aspiring hockey players and figure skaters. He also wanted to create winter jobs for the resort’s seasonal workforce.

The project was delayed for several years largely because of the complexity of the public-private financing arrangement that includes Whitebirch, local and federal government agencies, two area utility companies, private lenders, and a local hockey association.

"The arena will be a terrific addition to the community," Spizzo said, "and sometimes you just have to wait a little longer to obtain the best possible results for everybody involved."

The concrete and steel structure will include an 85-by-200-foot rink, six dressing rooms, two large shower rooms, a concession center, a sports retail shop, a nursing station, and seating for several hundred spectators, with room for expansion. An outdoor hockey rink also will be installed at the site.

Designed by Jones Architectural Engineering of Clearbrook, Minnesota, the structure can accommodate the addition of a mezzanine if needed in the future.

The primary contractor will be Gustafson & Goudge, Inc., also of Clearbrook, while the refrigeration system will be provided by CIMCO, a Canadian company that has equipped more than 4,000 similar facilities in North America.

The refrigeration capacity will be large enough to handle two indoor arenas, in case demand for ice time justifies construction of a second facility in the years ahead. Other contractors involved in the project include Joos Electric Company of Crosslake and GR Mechanical of the Twin Cities.

Viking Coca-Cola Bottling Company will sponsor the scoreboard and the sound system. TDS Telecom and Crow Wing Power Company were instrumental in facilitating the project by obtaining Rural Utility Service interest-free loans on behalf of the Breezy Point Economic Development Authority. The loans will be repaid by Breezy Point Sports.

The arena will serve as the home rink for the Pequot Lakes High School girls and boys hockey teams, as well as for the Pequot-Crosslake Youth Hockey Association.

Breezy Point Sports also plans to reserve plenty of ice time for figure skaters and their performances, as well as for open skating by the public and guests of the resort.

Bzoskie said the arena will be completed in time for the high school’s inaugural hockey season next fall. The Pequot Lakes School Board approved the girls and boys hockey program earlier this month after a convincing show of support from parents and students.

The arena will be used extensively for boys and girls hockey camps, starting next summer. A manager with experience in developing hockey camps, in collaboration with celebrity professional players and coaches, will be hired before the facility opens in October.

As part of the building project, Whitebirch’s former sales office, located on the site, will be renovated into a 150-bed dormitory for camp participants.