Worcester Sports Center groundbreaking - Worcester, MAWorcester, MA After a two-year negotiation, with the help of Mass Development and Worcester Business Development Corp. (WBDC), the new project on Harding St., headed by Marathon Sports Group of Boston, is taking shape. Construction has begun on the site of the former Presmet/GKN Sinter Metals industrial complex for the new $18 million Worcester Sports Center. Its official groundbreaking took place on May 20th after an agreement had been made with Craig Blais, president and chief executive of the WBDC and Cliff Rucker and Scott Rouisse of Worcester Sports Center LLC, to create a facility that would revitalize the area in a positive fashion. With 100,000 s/f, and an anticipated opening of August 2017, the Canal District will soon be seeing the multitude of benefits the Worcester Sports Center will be able to offer.
“Economically, we’re looking to provide a jolt to the local community by not only creating new jobs at the facility itself, but increasing traffic to the multiple eateries, lodging and the numerous independent businesses Worcester has to offer,” said Rouisse, co-manager of Worcester Sports.
The development itself, as designed by Marathon Sports Group and Lerner Ladds Bartels (LLB) Architects of Pawtucket, R.I., and Allen and Major Engineers of Woburn, Mass., will house two full-size ice rinks – each with mezzanine seating, an athletic training and conditioning center, oversized locker rooms, meeting spaces, onsite pro shop, multiple concession stands and 40,000 s/f of retail space; which will additionally expand the horizon of opportunities for both local and regional businesses to explore. With a large, glass entranceway viewable from the freeway, the facility will become a focal point to the downtown area.
“The Worcester Sports Center is committed to developing a new and unique environment that is mutually beneficial to its patrons, from youth to professional, as well as the city where it resides,” said Harry Angevine, CEO of both Marathon Construction, Inc. and Marathon Sports Group, the Boston-based company managing the development and construction. “Marathon Sports Group will create an environment where families can enjoy the rest of what the facility offers, while the other family member is on the ice. This will be accomplished by providing a mixed-use retail/recreational facility that will be as cutting-edge on the interior as it is on the exterior. The exterior complements the classic red brick architecture of historical downtown, while the tower of LED-lit glass panels that wrap the façade give the building a contemporary hi-tech look. Inside, we’re allowing more retail and entertainment ventures among the open areas to offer more activities for patrons to enjoy, as well as provide all the comfort and convenience visitors need while onsite. It is equally as important to cater to the parties visiting our sports centers as it is for the athletes competing in them. This is the vision Marathon Sports Group of Boston has for all of our sports centers.”
Marathon has three other projects slated to break ground in 2017/2018, all within the New England area, as well as the current development of a similar mixed-use 120,000 s/f facility in Middleton, The Essex Sports Center. Offering two ice rinks, as well as an indoor turf field for a multitude of athletic ventures, The Essex Sports Center will benefit the surrounding 17 towns within the Essex district.
Early estimates predict 500,000 visitors annually to the new Worcester Sports Center with day-to-day operating hours allowing nearly 18 hours of ice time, 7 days a week, providing a much-needed alternative option to ease the overcrowding from the only other local rink, the Buffone Arena. The facility will bring families from all over the U.S. to Worcester, making it a new up-and-coming destination. The Worcester Sports Center will be a community resource built for the people to serve the next generation. The neighborhood has a lot to look forward to thanks to the Marathon Sports Group of Boston.
Marathon Sports Group of Boston was founded in 2015 to meet the growing demand of the sports and recreation industry. Coupled with Marathon Construction Inc. founded in 1998, Marathon Sports Group of Boston is a full-service company that offers a variety of strategic and operational services to include cooperative consulting, space planning and design, project construction and development, budget management and financial advisement, as well as strategic alliances with consultants that can create and manage the facility schedules and programs. The primary goal is to create cutting edge sports phenomena across the nation by providing facilities that offer recreation to both youths and adults, from amateur to professional, through the development of sports programs and organized leagues to service the local community.
For more information visit MarathonSportsGroup.com.