BGSU Historic Campus Tour

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As the University continued to grow through the 1960s, the Board of Trustees approved construction of an ice arena in order to "improve and advance the health and physical education program on campus." Indeed, continuous renovation and expansion of the facilities served to maintain the contemporary nature of the building throughout the decades. Thus, the building continues to this day to be the focal point of ice-skating recreation, intercollegiate hockey competition, curling matches, and some physical education activities on campus.

Listed below are additional highlights in the history of the building:

• 1965, the Board of Trustees approves plans for the construction of an Ice Arena that would serve to "improve and advance the health and physical education program on campus."
• 1967, construction of the building completed at a cost of $1.8 million.
• 1973, renovation completed at a final cost of $180,000. Improvements include reconstruction of the hockey and curling areas and movement of the hockey area two feet forward to provide for new cooling unit.
• 1985, Board of Trustees appropriates $62,000 toward the repair of damages caused by power outage.
• 1987, new humidifier installed.
• 1989, Board of Trustees appropriates $650,000 toward the expansion of seating capacity by 1,700 seats.
• 2002, new showers installed.
• 2002, project designed to install photovoltaic panels on roof to supply energy to ice arena and city electrical grid, as well as to increase energy rates. Cost of the project is $2,400,000.
• 2006, Photovoltaic Project for Environmental Sustainability, placing panels on the roof to generate power
• 2010, building renovations

For more information about recent changes in the building, see the Rec Well Wire blog's post, "BGSU Has Big Plans for Ice Arena."