BILLINGS — Billings has moved forward with plans for a new ice rink near Amend Park.

A new non-profit organization, the Yellowstone Ice Foundationannounced Thursday that they are moving forward with the new arena as part of a larger Amend Park. Leisure campusor ARC. The campus will also include a separate indoor facility for multi-use athletic fields and plans for a new outdoor turf soccer field.

“I really believe it will compete with the Metra in bringing economic development to Billings,” said Dick Zier, a consultant for the South Billings Urban Renewal Association, or SBURA.

The $12 million two-plate ice building is already half-funded, thanks to a $6 million donation from Signal Peak Energy, a coal mine near Roundup.

Yellowstone Ice Foundation

“It is time for the private sector to raise the necessary funds to enable the construction of a portion of this recreation center, and we have focused our efforts on improving hockey and ice sports in Billings,” said the President and CEO of Billings. the Parker Phipps company.

This all happens just a year later $143 million parks bond proposal failsthe majority of which was intended for a large leisure center at the same proposed location. However, this project will be different because it will mix private and public funds.

“We’ve reduced it to the point where we’re still using taxpayer dollars, but there won’t be any new taxpayer dollars. We will not have to issue bonds. The House T-BID has stepped up and it will help us close any operating deficit that we have, and so there will be no new taxes on the people,” Zier said.

Private partnerships will fund the rink and Billings Parks and Recreation, while SBURA will be responsible for funding the rest of the campus and the courts building. Although the idea is similar to a leisure center, the overall space will be more specialized.

“Instead of one gigantic building with all these different recreational activities included, it will be more of a campus feel where there will be specific buildings for each specific sport or organization,” Parks and Recreation Superintendent Kory Thomson said.

The Parks Department and SBURA are excited about the new opportunities the campus will bring, including expanding options for hockey and economic development.

“We met with a person from Canada who is very interested in bringing the junior hockey league team to Billings, and so the hockey facility will have seating to accommodate it, I think it will accommodate about 3 000 people,” Zier said. “Can you imagine if we had a soccer tournament, a basketball tournament, a volleyball tournament, ice cream, hockey, whatever it was, and then it would filter into the hotels, it would filter into the Sam’s house.” Club, Costco, all these places, and it will be a real economic boost to this South Side. »

“Sports tourism, as a host of regional youth sports tournaments, I think there is a need in this community as well. From our perspective, we see this as a way to help our community, the people who live here, provide recreation throughout the year,” Thomson added.

To supplement the necessary funds, Signal Peak is launching a fundraising campaign to raise the remaining $6 million to begin work this spring.

“We’re hoping to partner with other companies and get this thing built,” Phipps said. “Once we sign the lease with the city, we will be able to submit our billing permit and we would like to begin construction in March of this year, as soon as the winter weather clears up.

The courts project is still ongoing and will take longer to complete. This will be an investment estimated at $22 million. Although more information will be finalized in the coming weeks, the city will soon be moving toward a new future.

“I’ve been working on this for four years, and today is a very exciting day to make this happen and move forward,” Zier said.