Chatham University’s hockey teams may finally be able to call the Shadyside ice rink, the Hunt Armory, home for good.
Following a unanimous approval vote from the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on April 10, Chatham University has been approved for a 10-year lease with the option to buy the property for $2 million.
“It’s great news,” Women’s Ice Hockey Coach Michael O’Grady said. “It’s an awesome first step, and that’s really what it is.”
This ruling from the URA doesn’t confirm that the Hunt Armory will belong to Chatham. The Pittsburgh Penguins, who have operated the rink since 2011, and Chatham are currently in a 90-day negotiation period to figure out the details of the acquisition. Chatham’s Board of Trustees will then vote to decide whether the University will enter the lease.
The Penguins estimated that $15 million in renovations are needed for the armory, but the University does not plan on spending anywhere close to that amount, according to Athletic Director Leonard Trevino.
“There’s major upgrades you have to do,” Trevino said.
Current plans for renovations are to update the electrical system, lighting, sprinkler system, locker rooms and convert the ice rink from seasonal to full-time.
“It’s less about making a grandiose place that holds major numbers. … It’s more about the actual participants,” Trevino said. “Some of these things aren’t what you would consider the sexiest thing around. It’s the actual infrastructure that needs to be upgraded.”
There are no permanent locker rooms at the Armory. Chatham teams were given access to a storage room, which was converted to a shared locker room space with their rooms separated by a temporary wall and a curtain. Neither team can shower. Visiting teams are forced to get dressed in tents located next to the ice.
The upgrades “will just lead to a better student-athlete experience,” O’Grady said.
Trevino believes this lease could be a revenue generator for the University in future years, with other colleges and youth organizations practicing and playing games at the Armory. If approved, Chatham plans for the Armory to follow a similar funding structure to that of Graham Field, the athletic field in Wilkinsburg that Chatham shares with the community.
The University plans on finding corporate sponsors, grants and other external funding measures to support the cost of renovations.
The men’s and women’s hockey teams are hoping the University’s acquisition of the Hunt Armory can alleviate obstacles other Division III hockey programs do not face. The Hunt Armory is the only ice rink in Pittsburgh city limits, so when the rink is not open in season, it forces the hockey teams to hold practices 30 minutes away from the Shadyside campus.
Trevino believes these renovations will help draw more people to games. The current setup for spectators allows fans to stand behind one end’s glass, and a small set of bleachers covers roughly 15 yards of space.
The men’s team ranked 90 in average attendance out of 93 Division III teams, with an average attendance of 92 fans a game. The women’s team finished 77 out of 78 schools, averaging 62 fans a game at the Armory.
Chatham’s ownership of the Armory would also allow the hockey teams to prioritize when they hold their practices and to have open ice opportunities not currently available to them.
If plans for the Hunt Armory are confirmed and renovations begin, both teams are expected to play next season at Alpha Ice Complex, located in Harmar, until the Armory is ready.
