From the Daily Gazette - http://www.dailygazette.com, 1/14/97
--
Union enters talks on new hockey arena
 
By MORGAN LYLE
Gazette Reporter
 
SCHENECTADY - Union College has discussed moving its men's and women's
ice hockey teams to a new multi-rink ice hockey center envisioned for
vacant North Jay Street land, people close to the talks said Monday.
 
One scenario that has been discussed is the construction of a rink
seating as many as 3,500 spectators where the teams would play their
home games, sources said.
 
"(Union President) Roger Hull met with the student leadership to
explore the idea, and that's as far as it's gone," said George
L. Robertson, executive director of Schenectady 2000, which has been
involved in discussions about a new youth hockey center for a
year. "The whole thing is probably beyond the dream stage to the
design stage, but it's still not a real deal."
 
College spokesman Peter Blankman said: "The college is a long way from
committing to anything."
 
The Schenectady Youth Hockey Association has wanted to build a new
hockey center on the North Jay Street property owned by David P. Fusco
for at least a year. The association is playingits final season at the
Center City ice rink, which plans to melt its ice for good and replace
hockey with soccer as its mainstay sport.
 
The Youth Hockey Association has said its goal was a $7 million,
two-rink complex on the land, which sits behind the Nott Street Ramada
Inn. But league leaders acknowledged the 350-player organization would
have a very difficult time financing such a facility.
 
Union's joining the discussions this fall have given the idea new
life, sources said. The facility now being discussed would have three
sheets of ice, not two, and would cost around $9 million, they said.
 
"It's premature to disclose any definite plans at this point," said
Michael Caruso, president of the Youth Hockey Association.
 
"It's just a matter of the developer and Union coming to terms," said
one source familiar with the discussions. "It's by no means a done
deal. But it's as close as being done as I could see."  Robertson,
however, called that an exaggeration.
 
"That is way premature," he said. "The only thing that's been
seriously talked about is the youth hockey part."
 
The idea of moving Union's men's and women's hockey teams out of the
Achilles Rink and off campus did not go over well with student leaders
when Hull brought it to them last week, sources said.
 
One source said a developer would build the center, and Union and the
youth hockey league would lease space. The developer was not
named. Fusco was out of town and could not bereached for comment
Monday night. In a recent interview, he said he had talked for some
time with the youth hockey league about his land. He said he had no
interest in developing the project, but would sell or lease the land
for the right price.
 
Fusco owns three of the 4.5 vacant acres on North Jay Street and the
Colonial Car Wash on the Nott Street side of the property. He also
owns the Carmen Road Plaza in Guilderland.
 
reply to Gazette Newspapers: [log in to unmask]
 
--
Jim Teresco '92, '93G - [log in to unmask]
Lab Manager - Union College PASTA Lab, http://www.pasta.union.edu
Visit the Union Hockey Pages at http://www.vu.union.edu/hockey
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.