By Matt Wiley & Gary Nager
Dirt has been turning on the site of what will be the largest ice hockey facility in the state for the past several months, but the complex finally has a permanent name: Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI).
The name was revealed during an announcement at the site on May 14. Z Mitch, LLC, developer Gordie Zimmermann and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) CEO Denyse Bales-Chubb unveiled the new sign that stands outside of where the future four-story, 150,500-sq.-ft. building will soon rise along Cypress Ridge Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, on the northeast corner of the I-75/S.R. 56 interchange.
The name is the result of an online naming contest that has been going on since ground officially was broken on the facility during a well-attended ceremony in February. Zimmermann said that more than 200 entries were submitted, but Florida Hospital Center Ice ultimately was chosen. He said the winning name was first submitted by an unnamed local hockey player, “but the names Center Ice and Ice Center were submitted by several people.”
He added, “When you want to change things up in hockey, you say, ‘Let’s regroup at center ice.’”
He added that vertical development will soon begin at the site. Unlike most other developments in the area (specifically the future Tampa Premium Outlets on the south side of S.R. 56 on the other side of the interstate), Center Ice will be constructed primarily out of structural steel, rather than cement.
And, with the special refrigeration and ice-making pipes that had to be built below the four ice surfaces before vertical construction could begin, FHCI will rise slowly and could take until just before this winter’s holiday season to complete.
“The building basically is steel with siding on it,” Zimmerman said, adding that next, the bases of the ice pads will have to be installed before the walls go up. To do so, Zimmermann said that crews will have to map out exactly where the ice pads and walls will go and dig out nine inches of dirt in their shape.
“We’re still looking at (opening around) the holidays,” Zimmermann said. “We’re really busy. We’re just about there.”
New Tampa Neighborhood News editor Gary Nager thought he came up with the winning name — The Ice Chapel — but the father of two former high school hockey players said he was still excited to finally have the largest ice complex in Florida built right here within minutes of so many rabid hockey fans.
For more info, including a virtual tour of the facility, please visit Florida HospitalCenterIce.com.
No comment yet, add your voice below!