The Maryville University Hockey Center, a state-of-the-art ice and multi-sport facility, was developed in Chesterfield Valley to replace Hardees IcePlex, which was sold and demolished in Spring 2017. The MUHC provides much needed ice time and recreational facilities for St. Louis youth and adults and attract local and regional sporting events and tournaments; and generating jobs and tourism dollars for local businesses. It also has helped St. Louis maintain and build upon its reputation as a first-tier hockey and sports town. The new complex is a public-private partnership cowned and operated by Chesterfield Hockey Association, a non-profit organization.
To continue to grow the game of ice hockey and other ice sports in St. Louis, the area needs more ice rinks and ice time. With the closure of Hardees IcePlex, the region lost 3 of its 21 sheets of ice. The new MUHC will provide a platform for various local youth sports programs to grow their organizations by providing a sustainable venue for them to call home.
Our goal was to create the premier hockey destination in Missouri and in the Midwest, located adjacent to the Simon Premium Outlet Mall, on 12 acres of land between Chesterfield Airport Road and US 64/40.
The facility’s design and its location in Chesterfield combining retail, entertainment and sports, differentiates it from others in the St. Louis area, many of which are older and in need of renovation.
The new, state-of-the-art 84,000 square-foot facility includes the following features:
To evaluate the feasibility of a new ice facility in Chesterfield, Ballard*King and Associates conducted a market study to explore community need and demand. With the closure of Hardees IcePlex, they felt there was “definitely a market for another 3 sheets of ice in the St. Louis area just to meet the current program demands.” Key to the success of the new arena was securing tenants to utilize ice time and generate income. Publicly supported developments also tend to fare better than privately owned ones.
The MUHC is being developed through a public-private partnership of Chesterfield Hockey Association (CHA), the City of Chesterfield, St. Louis County, The Staenberg Group (TSG) and Mia Rose Holdings (MRH). CHA is the primary ice time consumer, ensuring utilization of ice time, and the City of Chesterfield brings public support to the table. Maryville University is a primary tenant and partner to CHA at the facility.
Chesterfield Hockey Association (CHA) owns and operates MUHC and utilizes 2,400 hours of ice time (or about 60% of the total available) per year. The City of Chesterfield and St. Louis County have been extremely supportive of our efforts and have worked with the development team to use the existing Chesterfield Valley Transportation Development District to provide funding for the infrastructure and site development costs.
A premier team of industry experts with extensive experience in ice rink development and large scale developments were formed to develop the Project.
The Staenberg Group (“TSG”) applied their expertise in acquisitions, site selection, design, project management, construction, leasing, property management, investment, financial resources and partnership opportunities. TSG (and previously THF Realty) was the developer of Chesterfield Commons and has developed more than 2 million square feet within Chesterfield Valley.
Tom Kaiman, the Principal of MRH, has a deep background in ice rink development and construction. and He was the design-builder of the St. Louis Mills Ice Zone (practice facility of the St. Louis Blues), the 2 sheet facility at the St. Peter's Rec-Plex and recently managed the renovations and new ice surface installation for the City of Brentwood. MRH is committed to ensuring youth hockey continues to grow in Chesterfield and the St. Louis region.
