Drenthe skating enthusiasts can enjoy a brand new ice rink in a few years. The municipality of Groningen is building a new Sportpaleis to replace the outdated sports center Kardinge. This must be finished in 2031. While there is still the chance that there will be a new ice rink in Assen.
In the new Kardinge there is room for a skating rink, a competition swimming pool and a top sports hall for basketball club Donar and volleyball club Lycurgus. “Fantastic news, the arrival of this was and has been a top priority for years. So I am very happy that it is finally happening,” says KNSB Drenthe chairman Bart Jonkers.
The complex must cost between 225 and 250 million euros. The municipality has asked the province of Groningen for 15 million euros and an external party is being sought to put 25 million euros on the table.
The skating hall becomes multifunctional. There will be a 400 meter course and a hall for ice hockey, short track and figure skating. 1000 spectators can take a seat there. In the Topsporthal there must be room for 3500 viewers.
Also in Drenthe there is still talk of the arrival of an ice rink. It is for recreational skaters. “A meeting evening is being organized there in the municipality of Assen. There are interested people talking about their financing,” says Jonkers.
A total of 8.5 million euros is needed to finance the ice rink. “Entrepreneurs in Assen have promised that they will be responsible for a third of that amount. We hope that the province and municipality will take care of the rest. What the precise distribution will be in it is not yet known.”
Whether an ice rink in both Groningen and Assen is not too much? “Certainly not, because the track in Groningen is mainly for top athletes. The course in Assen would be one for recreational use. Moreover, they are not in a radius of twenty minutes in each other’s waters. So enthusiasts who like to skate in Drenthe do not have to travel to Groningen.”
After the meeting on 11 June, Jonkers hopes that the process will be put in the next gear. “At the end of this year we hope to hear more about whether or not to continue the track in Assen. We have good hope,” concludes Jonkers.