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City staff and representatives from various groups who use the city’s ice arena celebrated the start of construction on the arena on Thursday in a groundbreaking ceremony. 

The $1.26 million arena remodeling project is part of an overall nearly $10 million referendum approved by 75.5% of voters in 2024 for upgrades to Albert Lea’s recreational facilities, including the arena, city pool and Marion Ross Performing Arts Center. Restrooms are also being built near the splash pad. 

At City Arena, the remodeling project includes building a 1,099-square-foot building addition for the lobby. It also includes adding an admissions area and conference room for hockey, figure skating and other groups to use; streamlining the skate rental area; and making office space more efficient. In a separate project that is also part of the referendum, the city is updating the refrigeration system at the arena for both the Colstrup and Nostrum rinks. 

Cathy Malakowsky, Albert Lea director of community engagement and enrichment, said it was community support that led to the city of Albert Lea buying the field house from Lea College and converting it to an ice arena in 1976, and it is with that same support that the city added a second rink of ice in 1998. 

“And it’s with community support that we are upgrading all the recreational facilities for long-term sustainability for our future generations,” Malakowsky said. 

Albert Lea Mayor Rich Murray thanked all of the groups in attendance who have put in a lot of time and effort into the project — for the city staff for their part in planning and getting community support for the project and for the Albert Lea Hockey Association, for their commitment in donating funds to the project. 

“Any time I can go to a groundbreaking in this community, I get excited,” he said.

He also thanked the people who live in the community who passed the referendum and who are getting behind the project with their tax dollars. 

He talked about how busy the lobby gets every time he comes to the arena for hockey events and said that the expansion of the lobby will allow people from other towns who come in to use the facility to marvel at what they have done here. 

He said the city has to continue to make improvements to its facilities at all times for the quality of life for its residents. 

“What we’re doing here over the next several months is going to be in place for the next 30 years.” 

Murray said several thousand people a year come into the arena, and when they come here for tournaments, they are also spending money in Albert Lea at the city’s restaurants and gas stations, which helps out the whole community. 

Other groups in attendance at the ceremony included Waldorf University and the Albert Lea Hockey Association.

Malakowsky said these user groups were important for this project, as most of the projects being done were based on their input.

She noted most of the projects being done at the area won’t be visible to the public, including LED lights and an E-ceiling and rink floor for the Colstrup Rink. 

Representatives of InBylt, formerly Apex, which the city has worked with to develop the project, and Brennan Construction, which is the general contractor, were also in attendance.