The concrete slab has been placed at Watson Arena, a new 68,200 s/f ice arena on the campus of Bowdoin College. Pro Con Inc. is the construction manager for the $20 million project and Bear Mountain Design AC, Ltd. is the project architect.
The new arena will feature a 90 foot by 200 foot ice surface and will have a seating capacity for 1,900 and standing room capacity around the concourse for an additional 600. The arena has exposed steel trusses, masonry columns and wood accents through the facility. The project includes locker rooms with equipment storage and athletic training areas. The site plan calls for a 360 space parking lot.
The concrete slab was placed over the arena's computerized ice refrigeration system which utilizes extensive piping for both warming and freezing systems. The environmentally friendly arena will have an energy efficient refrigeration system and de-humidification system and will utilize recycled water.
Throughout the project, Pro Con and Bowdoin have maintained a commitment to the environment and anticipate the Watson Arena to be LEED certified after completion. In addition to coordination with the design team to ensure the optimum amount of LEED points are achieved, Pro Con worked with subcontractors and suppliers to ensure that as many products as possible contained a high recycled content, were manufactured or extracted regionally, and contained minimal amounts of VOCs. Pro Con also ensured that all wood products utilized during construction were urea-formaldehyde free and Forest Stewardship Council Certified. To minimize construction waste, Pro Con and Bowdoin introduced a comprehensive waste management program which has resulted in almost 90% of construction waste being diverted from disposal.
Pro Con began site work in September 2007 and Bowdoin plans to officially open the Watson Arena on January 18, 2009 with a men's and women's doubleheader.