The General Manager of the David S. Palmer Arena says he is excited about progress being made to install a new ice system. A $3-million dollar gift from the Julius W. Hegeler II Foundation has allowed work to advance on replacing the ice system beneath the floor where hockey games and ice skating occur.
Joe Dunagan, the Arena General Manager, says the ice is heavily used…
{”We have ice-skating lessons. We have open ice where people come in. You got the Dashers. You got Danville Youth Hockey. … They’ve requested the use of it four nights a week now rather than just two because their program is going to have almost 70 people – or over 70 people in it. So they’re able to have another team,” said Dunagan.}
Construction rebar is ready for the 63,000 feet of cooling tube that will be installed starting Wednesday. The schedule calls for ice-making to begin October 5th, and Dunagan says the new ice should be ready by October 15th.
And with the improvements, Dunagan hopes to increase the Arena’s use….
{”I’ve contacted the NCAA. I’ve contacted high schools in the Indianapolis and Chicago areas that have hockey. NCA – Division 3, NCA – Division 2, Illinois – the University of Illinois. We’re going to have the best ice in the Midwest, and it would be a shame to not use it as much as we can,” said Dunagan during an interview with VermilionCountyFirst.com News.
The Palmer Arena Board has approved an agreement allowing Danville Youth Hockey to use the ice four nights a week. And Dunagan says Champaign-Urbana Youth Hockey contacted him Tuesday expressing interest in using the facility. Dunagan would even like to see college teams use the ice….
{You know if we can get college teams to come in, maybe we put together a ‘Frozen Four’ kind of weekend – or some high school teams come in. I had a meeting with the Danville Youth Hockey… – anything the Arena can do to help them promote youth hockey – help them host tournaments on weekends – help them host shoot-outs – whatever they would like to try to do so that we can just generate – bring people into the town, bring people into the community – that helps our local businesses, and that’s what we’re all about,” added Dunagan.}
