Duluth (MN) Entertainment Convention Center construction taking shape

With about 175 workers swarming the scene daily, the new arena being built at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center is quickly taking shape.

Four of the six 1,000-BTU heaters deployed to warm the structure now sit silent. Just two of the machines roar today, thanks to the warmth emanating from concrete curing inside the new arena.

The subfloor is already in place, and work will soon begin on the lacework of steel pipe needed to create a first-rate ice sheet. It will take a team of four welders and four helpers three to four weeks of solid labor to install the pipe — about 11.5 miles of it — according to Mark Rodorigo, owner of Commercial Refrigeration Systems, the Virginia firm hired to tackle the project.

The floor will be off-limits to anyone but Rodorigo’s crew for two months, according to Dan Russell, the DECC’s executive director.

The cooling system will be incorporated into a 6-inch-thick concrete slab that must be strong enough to accommodate circus elephants and monster trucks, in addition to hard-skating hockey teams. Rodorigo said the floor is designed to last at least 50 years.

The whole floor will need to go in at once in what Rodorigo calls “a monolithic pour” to ensure uniform consistency and strength. He said 320 yards of concrete will be required for the job, and the surface must be hand-leveled to perfection. The floor cannot vary more than one-quarter of an inch from end to end.

The floor will be sprayed with water periodically to ensure a slow, crack-free cure. It will not be ready for traffic until at least two weeks have passed.

Still, with 30 years in the business, Rodorigo’s not worried. To date, his firm has installed refrigeration systems for 120 ice sheets, mostly in the Midwest.

Installation of the new arena’s 6,600-plus seats can’t proceed until Rodorigo signs off on the floor. The new facility will boast 29 percent more seating than the current arena, which has a capacity of 5,100 spectators.

Fans will enter the bowl-shaped arena from above and walk down to their seats. Russell said the design enabled architects to squeeze the facility’s seating closer to the action on the ice.

“The sight lines at this facility will be the equal or better of any hockey arena in the nation,” said Russell.

The arena also features a concourse area that flows directly into the seating area, enabling people to keep an eye on the game even when they visit one of eight concessionaires that will serve the facility.

Those lines in the women’s lavatory should get shorter, too. The UMD Bulldog hockey team’s current home venue has only 15 toilet stalls for women, but Russell said that will be boosted to 68 in the new arena.

Spectators won’t be the only beneficiaries of the new facility. Russell said athletes will have about four times the space and a place of honor in a Bulldog hall of fame.

The arena will feature all the latest training equipment, including a puck-shooting room and a hydrotherapy area, complete with an underwater treadmill for rehabilitation. UMD athletes plan to use the training facility year-round.

The exterior of the arena has been changing daily, with a green waterproofing coat being applied over foam insulation before concrete panels are fixed in place. Terra cotta blocks salvaged from Superior’s Globe Elevator — what had been the oldest grain-handling facility left standing in Wisconsin — also are being used for part of the building’s facade.

The arena was designed with the environment and efficiency in mind. Besides using reclaimed materials, workers also are conscientiously striving to minimize waste. Toward that end, Russell said 95 percent of construction waste from the project will be recycled.

Another sign of progress at Duluth’s newest hockey venue will appear this week, when crews hope to begin installing the glass panels that will enclose the arena’s ice cube-inspired lobby. The specially coated glass is highly reflective, and while it costs more up front, Russell expects to recoup the expense in just 3½ years through lower utility bills.

Lighting in the glass-encased lobby will be provided by 168 high-efficiency LED lights designed to evoke the sparkle of ice.

The new arena is expected to consume half as much energy as its smaller predecessor.

That same commitment to improved efficiency prompted the DECC to skip installing refrigerators in the luxury suites it’s building into the new arena. Russell explained that it didn’t make sense to pay for refrigeration that was needed only to cool beverages for a few hours at a stretch. Instead, DECC staff will supply each suite with a tub of ice for events, trimming electrical demand.

Russell said all 15 suites in the new arena already are spoken for. The rent? A mere $25,000 per year.

A clubhouse bar in the arena will feature old-growth lumber salvaged from warehouses and other industrial structures by Duluth Timber Co., slate from the Range and a two-sided fireplace.

Construction manager Glenn Van Heel said the project is right on track, and he’s confident the facility will be ready for its inaugural game Dec. 30, when the Bulldogs take on North Dakota.

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