Sioux Falls Ice Complex Two Years Away

by Ashley Kringen, Reporter
November 13, 2012 9:27 PM


Ice sports are pretty popular in the Midwest, such as hockey and ice-skating and now, Sioux Falls is inching closer and closer to building a new ice facility.

The Chamber of Commerce and Ice Sports Association kicked off their capital campaign on Monday with the hope to raise $1.54 Million.

To date, the ISA has raised $5.1 Million, with the total fundraising effort being $7.7 Million.

With this campaign, supporters said they hope to move forward with the construction process by next fall and they're asking for the community’s help.

"It's just going to give us more ice and practice time," said Easton.

Easton Zueger, a nine-year-old and hockey player, is one of many who support ice sports in Sioux Falls.

"There's a lot of other towns that get a lot more practice and I think it's just going to be good to get a lot more like that," said Easton.

Easton's dad, Joe Zueger, also the Campaign’s Co-Chair, said when he was a teenager, he helped lay the ice for the original Minnehaha Ice and Recreation Center and now he hopes to lay ice on a new place for his son and other kids to play.

"Our facilities are out dated, soon to be retired and its just time for the next generation of facilities to be built," said Zueger.

With the help of Scheels, Sanford and other community supporters, the future ice rinks have a name; it will be called the Scheels IcePlex.

The location is on 11 acres of land just west of the Sioux Falls Regional Airport.

For Tom McDowell, the Campaign's Co-Chair, he said he has a personal connection to these three new sheets of ice.

"I'm a figure skater dad and watched my daughter love the sport, grow in the sport, but I have seen limitations," said Mcdowell.

These limitations include having to drive during the summer months to Sioux City or Brookings for his daughter to maintain ice time.

For Easton and his teammates, he said new places to skate, will provide more time for the sport he loves.

"We just skate around, have fun, pass the puck, shoot, score," said Easton.

Especially, when he scores a goal, when he can do his signature move.

"I take my glove off, go to one knee and do a salute to the stands," said Easton.

Construction is on the schedule to start fall of 2013, with the completion date set for fall of 2014, just two years away.

The campaign goes through the end of March.

For more information, visit www.icesportsassociation.org/our-vision.aspx