IceForum, the ice skating facility that hosts Kennesaw State’s club hockey team, will relocate next spring to make way for a new student housing project.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners gave unanimous approval on Oct. 21 for a 195-unit apartment complex to replace the ice skating facility on Busbee Parkway.
The project, led by Fountain Residential, a Dallas, Texas-based student housing development company, is expected to be completed in 2020 or 2021.
IceForum officials recently told the MDJ that the facility is expected to remain open until spring 2018. After that, the facility plans to move to a new location in Woodstock.
IceForum has hosted games and practices for the KSU ice hockey team since it opened, and the team is expected to follow the facility to its new location once the current one closes.
According to Amy Kuuskoski, the senior coordinator of club sports at KSU, there is more to benefit from the relocation than to lose.
“Overall, the team is happy about this change,” Kuuskoski said. “It will take some time to adjust, and there are certainly nostalgic ties to the old IceForum facility that we are sad to lose. However, in the long run, the team will benefit from the new space.”
Kuuskoski said the new facility will offer the team the opportunity to train and compete in a modern building. It is also expected to offer recruiting benefits when the team is showcasing their venues to potential athletes.
However, the team and its spectators will now have to travel farther from campus for practices and competitions. The team is unsure how the move will affect spectator attendance, as the proximity to campus has helped attendance over the years.
“It will be important for our team to promote games and events actively on campus and in the area,“ Kuuskoski said.
The KSU ice hockey team, a Division III club sport, won a National Championship in 2005. The Woodstock location is expected to open its doors in summer 2018.
