October 1 , 2007

SMSC to Build Second Sheet of Ice at Dakotah! Sport and Fitness
Innovations Include Green Roof, Artificial Turf, and More

Prior Lake, Minnesota - After several years of discussion and planning, the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community has made a commitment to build a second sheet of ice at Dakotah! Sport and Fitness. Bids will go out later this fall for the new sheet of ice which will be constructed to the southeast of the existing Dakotah! Ice Arena. The project will take less than a year to build and the new sheet of ice is expected to be operational by October 1, 2008. The existing Ice Arena will also undergo remodeling in August 2008.

The second sheet of ice will be the same size as the existing sheet, but the new space will seat 900 guests in the bleachers and over 1200 in the surrounding spaces. There will be a couple mezzanine levels, seven locker rooms, and a new concession area on the lower level accessible for both sheets. On the upper level there will be two meeting rooms, offices, and concourse viewing and seating area for parents and others who want to watch through large windows while staying warm. The basement will also contain a dryland training room for off-ice related training.

The new building may contain an approximately 30,000 square foot green roof with live plants on it, a green initiative which has many environmental benefits. It helps reduce energy cost and consumption, prolongs the life of the roof, and treats stormwater. "This will help our summer conditions immensely," said Ice Arena Manager Matt Mathiasen. There will also be six skylights in the new building which will allow natural light to enter. Another innovative feature is a compressor system and heat exchanger, which will take the waste heat from the ice-making equipment and redirect it through the bleachers to heat the concrete to make the seating area more comfortable for fans.

During the off-season for hockey, the new facility will have artificial turf similar to that in professional stadiums. The turf will be available during the months of March, April, and May so that the space can be utilized by baseball, softball, lacrosse, golf, and indoor soccer.

Some areas of the existing facility will be relocated in order to serve both arenas, such as offices and skate sharpening. Storage rooms will be shared between the two arenas. Two of the seven new locker rooms may provide permanent space for the Prior Lake High School Girls' and Boys' Hockey Teams.

In the existing ice arena the six locker rooms will be remodeled to four larger locker rooms in August 2008. The metal, retractable seating in the arena will also be changed out for precast concrete bleacher seating with plastic seats. This new seating will allow the space below to be utilized for locker rooms. The current bleachers don't allow for that space to be utilized. A collapsible VIP seating area will be designed on the southwest side by the player boxes for future indoor events, like the Annual SMSC Pow Wow, which uses the Ice Arena as an inclement weather location.

"This first-class building will have many unique innovations that the SMSC can be proud of," said SMSC Vice-Chairman Glynn Crooks.

SMSC Secretary/Treasurer Keith Anderson said, "We spent a lot of time planning this project and confident that it will provide quality accommodations and much needed ice time to area teams." OFFICERS Stanley R. Crooks Chairman Glynn A. Crooks Vice Chairman Keith B. Anderson Secretary/Treasurer SMSC Chairman Stanley Crooks said, "I am pleased that the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community members approved this project. It will benefit the Community and surrounding area for many years to come."