FRIDLEY, Minn. – (Feb. 26th, 2015) – Open meetings begin in March for the vacant Columbia Arena in Fridley. The old hockey arena was bought by the city last year for $2.6 million with the intent of demolishing the arena and creating a new development on the 14-acre site. There will be four public workshops over the next two months to give residents and business owners a chance to pitch ideas to city leaders about what should go on the land.
Originally owned by Anoka County, the arena opened in 1969 and was used for filming “D3: The Mighty Ducks” in the mid-1990’s. As the arena aged, it faced high-cost renovations, and The National Sports Center Foundation, who owned the arena at the time, opted to invest in new ice sheets in Blaine instead of repairing Columbia. New residential units are among the current options for the property. The first workshop will be held on March 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Fridley Community Center.
