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.