Excitement is building for the full release of details behind the Greenwood Sportsplex and what I like to call, the Indy Fuel's "mega rink."  At this point, the bulk of the negotiations have all but concluded, the commission hearings went off without an issue, and now we're just waiting for those last minute details to be worked out before the major details are released.  We're expecting that to happen by the end of this month (July).  

So while we're impatiently waiting, let's take a look at what we know about the Greenwood Sportsplex as well as discuss some of the speculation behind things that could be.

Late last year, the Indy Fuel approached the city of Greenwood with the desire to build an ice rink on the south side of Indianapolis.  What started as a humble 12 million dollar, two pad facility, quickly expanded to an 18 million dollar three rink facility, and finally settled on a 20 million dollar four pad facility, and one of the largest of it's kind in the nation.  The city of Greenwood was all-in, of course, and began looking for just the right location. The Mayor's office initially proposed Freedom Park which is right in the middle of residential Greenwood.  As you can imagine, most of the residents were not excited about a 20 million dollar ice complex (and it's associated traffic) in their back yard.   

After some lengthy debate, the project was moved east of I-65, just off County Line Road.  This move is certainly more expensive for the city with a ballpark investment of about 8.5 million over the course of ten years.  However, the options for retail, ease of access, and general revenue generation means the return on this location is far greater for Greenwood and the Indy Fuel.  Not to mention Gershman Partners, the developer associated with the location, now has the anchor they need to finally get the ball rolling on a development project that's been incubating for the last ten years.

With the extra room in the new location, the Greenwood Iceplex has expanded to become the Greenwood Sportsplex.  Here are the confirmed details:

• The price tag for the ice rink is now 25 million dollars
• 175,000 square foot facility 
• Five basketball/volleyball courts
• Four ice rinks (two of which will be seasonal turf fields)
• Includes a fitness facility
• Will have room a for medical facility
• Space for a restaurant/food services
• expected to open in 2019

It wouldn't be hockey without a little speculation and we've heard some pretty far out ideas about what's in store for the Sportsplex. Just to confirm, it won't have a monorail or a fusion reactor.  But here are some things that are in the realm of possibilities:

• Large seating capacity  - while the Fuel will continue to practice in Fishers and play at the Coliseum, they'll still want the opportunity to show off their new facility.  Having one of the four rinks with seating capacity somewhere between 1,500 and 3,000 is not only a possibility, it's very likely. 
• Tim Hortons - what goes better with early Saturday morning hockey than Timbits and coffee?  With Tim Hortons making their way into Indianapolis, it's not too much of a stretch to consider a lease of that restaurant space to the coffee and doughnuts giant. 
• Center of Excellence - This is less speculation and more of 90% probability.  If TPH continues to invest in it's Center of Excellence program here in the state, it's a foregone conclusion that it will move from the Fuel Tank in Fishers to the Greenwood Sportsplex.
• A new junior team - this is pure speculation on our part but why not?  Going back to the first bullet point, if there's additional seating capacity, a junior team would be a really nice fit and fill a gap between AAA hockey and Indiana's growing collegiate hockey scene.
• A Frozen Four - okay, maybe it's a bit of a stretch but with four more pads of ice in and around Indianapolis, it's got to be on someone's radar.  Indy's a great sporting event host, so I'd have to think the wheels are turning somewhere - maybe over in the NCAA headquarters....  

Regardless of the speculation, we're just happy to get more ice in Indiana.  But it's only natural to think "what if?"  What would you like to see in the new Sportsplex?