Photo courtesy of University of Maine/Maine Athletics
Plans call for adding 4,900 sq. ft. to the Alfond Arena entrance and making a 5,000-sq.-ft. renovation to the existing Alfond Arena.
University of Maine Athletics recently announced a $320 million renovation project from the Harold Alfond Foundation which includes a $170 million investment to fund the school's Athletics Facilities Master Plan.
The money represents one of the largest contributions ever to a college sports program, The Maine Campus, UMaine's student newspaper, reported April 22.
Plans call for adding 4,900 sq. ft. to the Alfond Arena entrance and making a 5,000-sq.-ft. renovation to the existing Alfond Arena.
As a result, the men's and women's hockey teams will receive new locker rooms equipped with modern lighting and the latest technology to create one of the premier facilities for college hockey in the United States. The squads also will benefit from a new film room that seats 42 individuals, and an upgrade to a tunnel leading to the arena.
The two hockey facilities will be connected by a new concourse entrance featuring a new building design to complement the recognizable Alfond Arena profile. The spacious concourse will include renovated points of sale for tickets, concessions and the brand-new area for the Bear Necessities team store. To preserve and celebrate the sport's history in Maine, a new Hockey Hall of Fame also is planned.
When entering the facility, fans can expect to be welcomed to an area celebrating Maine's only Division 1 program, with displays of the athletic department's history and accomplishments.
New and renovated offices for the men's and women's head coaches, assistant coaches and support staff also have been designed for the hockey programs and are to be equipped with modern technology to train and care for student-athletes.
Additionally, the Shawn Walsh Hockey Center will be upgraded with modern sports medicine and strength and conditioning spaces.
Hydrotherapy cold and hot tubs as well as larger and more efficient areas for treatment and injury prevention will be constructed, along with room for upgraded training equipment and nutrition areas, to bring the total amount of renovated space to about 13,000 sq. ft., The Maine Campus reported.
Funding from the Alfond Foundation also is earmarked to pay for:
- Upgrades to the Dexter Lounge, one of the signature components of the hockey arena. Those improvements will allow student-athletes, staff, donors, and fans to enjoy events, meetings and gatherings to celebrate UMaine's athletics program.
- Improved branding in the arena geared toward celebrating the history of Maine Hockey as well as recognition opportunities for donors and an improved entrance for premium seat holders.
- A new arena lighting system.
- A beer garden at both the hockey arena and at Alfond Stadium.
UMaine's student newspaper noted that the athletics department also will continue to consider options for the in-venue fan experience, as well as parking and traffic flow procedures.
The university's upgrades to the Alfond Arena and Shawn Walsh Hockey Center will further the school's commitment to excellence in the athletics program, noted Jude Killy, UMaine's director of athletics, while strengthening gender equity and provide a preferred destination for high school sport championships and community events.
"The enhancements will provide championship-caliber resources for the men's and women's ice hockey programs as they prepare to compete in front of the best fans in Hockey East," Killy explained. "These improvements will continue our efforts towards being the premier destination for college hockey."
Bangor-based WBRC and Crawford Architects in Kansas City, Mo., are the architects for the Alfond Sports Complex project. The building effort itself is managed by PC Construction, located in Portland.
The project is expected to be completed later this fall after having been under way for three years when new turf was installed on the football field.
In 2023, the Alfond Arena completed work on installing a new video board, ribbon boards, a new sound system and an LED lighting system as well as the new softball complex, field hockey complex and baseball scoreboard and fencing.
Future upgrades for the athletic program include a new soccer and track and field complex, new turf for Mahaney Dome, and an indoor connector to Memorial Gym. Work is also slated to begin in 2025 on building Morse Arena construction, the new home of UMaine's men's and women's basketball teams.
Two Maine Marinas Get $3M From Feds to Make Upgrades
A pair of marinas in Maine are in line to receive a total of $3 million in federal funds to make infrastructure improvements, Mainebiz noted April 16.
DiMillo's Marina, on Commercial Street in Portland, and Peaks Island Marina are the recipients of the money, which comes from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Boating Infrastructure Grant Program.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, along with U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, announced the awards in a joint statement.
"Marinas are an important part of supporting Maine's recreation and tourism economies, connecting Maine people and visitors alike with the scenic coastlines and working waterfronts our great state has to offer," the lawmakers said.
The federal grants are designed to help improve local waterways.
DiMillo's Marina received $1,422,731 in federal funds and has a non-federal match of $582,016, for a total of $2,004,747.
The facility plans to partner with the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT) to add two 75-ft. transient berths as well as 70 ft. of side-tie dockage to extend the current dockage to 200 ft. in length.
The marina also will replace aging pilings, install three-phase power, add a more accessible gangway, build a boater's lounge and replace an aging fuel dock.
Peaks Island Marina was granted $1.5 million in federal funds and has a non-federal match of $2,199,094 for a total of $3,699,094.
Along with MaineDOT, the dockyard plans to add 30 dedicated transient slips and 1,438 ft. of transient side-tie dockage, in addition to a wave attenuation system, an added fueling system and utilities.
Mainebiz reported that the grants for Maine were among more than $21 million announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service earlier in April to support construction, renovation and maintenance of marinas and other boating facilities for outdoor recreation and waterway access nationwide.
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