THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS (June 19, 2015) – The Woodlands Township Board of Directors approved a proposal to enter into an Agreement with The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for a shared use building that will hold The Ice Rink during the winter months and the House of Blues Hospitality Venue throughout the rest of the year.

The 21,000 square-foot facility will be built where the existing House of Blues Hospitality Venue is located on the Northwest side of The Pavilion. The sheet of ice is expected to be similar in size to the temporary ice rink (60’ x 120’) which attracts on average more than 50,000 skaters over a two-month period of time from mid-November to mid-January.

In January 2015, The Township approved a project term sheet with The Pavilion which outlined the general terms and conditions of the proposed agreement. On June 18, 2015, The Woodlands Township Board of Directors authorized its President/General Manager Don Norrell to execute the Project Development and Joint Use Agreement.

The total cost of the multi-use structure is estimated at $4.9 million, with The Woodlands Township funding half of the construction costs. The Township will also pay 100 percent of the cost of the ice making equipment, the cost of which is estimated to be $562,000 for a total estimated cost to the Township of approximately $3 million.

The Ice Rink has been in existence for 15 years on a temporary basis, and this will now be a permanent home from November through January. Other ice uses are possible in the facility in February and part of March. More than 617,000 people have skated in The Ice Rink since the inception in 1999, according to The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Construction is expected to begin later in 2015. The facility is expected to open in May 2016 for The Pavilion’s season and in November 2016 for Township use for ice skating.

Visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or call The Woodlands Township at 281-210-3800 for more information.