The Grant • Harvey Centre, Fredericton's new Southside Sports & Leisure Complex will honour two of the city's hockey heroes - Danny Grant and the late Buster Harvey - when it opens in late September 2012.
The $29.35-million facility will feature an Olympic-size ice surface and an NHL-size ice surface and will be home to the St. Thomas University Tommies and Fredericton High School Black Kats men's and women's ice hockey teams. It will also accommodate other ice sports, including figure skating and speed skating, as well as offer an ideal location for trade shows and home shows.
The two-level complex, to be constructed by Foulem Construction Ltee, of Caraquet, will include a three-lane walking/running track on the upper level as well as a community events room, a multi-purpose meeting room and full kitchen facilities. The Olympic-size ice surface will have 500 seats for spectators while the NHL surface will feature seating for 1,500.
There will be 10 dressing rooms and a referees' room in the complex.
The 45-acre site, known as Scotiabank Park South, is located at 600 Knowledge Park Drive, close to the intersection of Alison Boulevard and Kimble Drive, just off the Vanier Highway. The grounds will include an artificial turf multi-use athletic field, a six-court indoor tennis facility, a two-acre, fenced dog-walking park and parking for more than 600 vehicles.
The City of Fredericton has approved a deal with Ice Kube Systems Technology that will see geothermal energy used to heat and cool the complex. The system will also have the capability to store extra thermal energy to serve other buildings on the site or in the vicinity.
The Province of New Brunswick and the Government of Canada have both made contributions to the cost of the project along with the City of Fredericton.
Danny Grant and Buster Harvey grew up in Fredericton and went on to have successful careers in the National Hockey League. Both returned to Fredericton after their NHL careers and gave back to their community by active involvement in coaching local teams. Both are members of the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame.
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