The Chicago Blackhawks unveiled new renderings for its expansion of Fifth Third Arena, the team’s training facility, as Chicago's fast-moving sports venue saga gets a new chapter.
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With the 135K SF expansion, the Blackhawks are adding two new rinks to the facility, a permanent home for the team's Hall of Fame, a bar, lounges and a patio. The team estimates that the expanded arena will welcome more than 1.5 million guests per year.
“Through the Fifth Third Arena expansion, we are creating the epicenter of hockey in the Midwest,” Danny Wirtz, CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks, said in a press release. “This venue is where NHL superstars train alongside rising talent, creating an environment where championship dreams can take flight.”
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The team purchased the land for the expansion from Rush University Medical Center for $23.5M in early 2023, and construction has been in the works since May 2024.
The initial price tag for the expansion was $65M, but the team's President of Business Operations, Jaime Faulkner, told the Sun-Times that construction costs have “substantially exceeded” that estimate.
The new patio will feature views of The 1901 Project campus, a massive project around the United Center that would replace parking lots and the area around the arena with a $7B mixed-use district. The project's first phase is set to add a 6,000-seat music hall, a boutique hotel, a public plaza and a parking deck.
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Chicago Bulls President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf and Chicago Blackhawks Chairman Danny Wirtz are spearheading the 14M SF megadevelopment, which would span 55 acres. The ownership group said it isn't angling for city funding or tax increment financing assistance.
The Fifth Third Arena expansion is set to be completed in January 2026.
“The expansion unlocks possibilities that did not exist before, creating a hub where world-class entertainment meets grassroots celebrations and where championship moments happen alongside neighborhood milestones,” Faulkner said in a press release.
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