East Brunswick Breaks Ground On Much-Awaited Ice Arena

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — On Sept. 20, East Brunswick held a groundbreaking ceremony for the state-of-the-art Ice Arena.

Mayor Brad Cohen was joined by Council President Kevin McEvoy, Council Vice President Zimbicki, Councilwoman Dana Winston, Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, County Clerk Nancy Pinkin, School Superintendent Victor Valeski and Ken Daneyko of NJ Devils, for the official groundbreaking ceremony.

The ice rink is expected to be completed in 18 months, Cohen said.

Cohen also welcomed sports teams from East Brunswick, Spotswood and South River school districts who would be using the facility and benefiting from it.

During his address, Cohen spoke about how the ice rink will facilitate youth sports in the community and help young people learn life skills.

“Youth sports programs provide a lot of opportunities for our children to learn about things like teambuilding, balance, coordination and leadership,” Cohen said.

“The programs that we are going to be able to provide with the venue we are about to build here will provide more than just skating. It’s going to provide a wide range of youth opportunities.”

Apart from skating and other league games, Cohen said the township will encourage women’s ice hockey, and offer curling and figure skating. He also spoke about the possibility of East Brunswick hosting pre-professional and college-level hockey leagues.

The facility will also have 5,000 square feet of community space on the second level of the building, Cohen said.

“The sky is the limit. It’s also a great place to offer employment opportunities for those who live in East Brunswick and the surrounding communities,” Cohen said.

The ice arena will provide opportunities for the special needs community and become an economic driver for the township, the Mayor said.

In July, the township awarded $30 million in two contracts for the municipal ice rink.

The council approved expenses of $26,535,000 and $3,950,000 for the ice rink facility. The contract to build the 83,900-square-foot arena was given to Wood-Ridge-based Terminal Construction Corp for $26,535,000.

The $3,950,000 contract was given to Ice Builders, Inc. from Liverpool, NY, for the two indoor ice rinks, including mechanical systems, concrete slabs beneath the ice, refrigeration and other required features.

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