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Manchester Phoenix unveil plans for a brand-new 3,000-seater arena

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Manchester Phoenix have unveiled plans for a brand-new 3,000-seater arena, with Olympic-sized ice pad, in the city centre.

Directors at the EPL club have produced detailed proposals for the venue, which will boast state-of-the-art energy recovery systems.

The arena will signal the return of senior ice hockey to the centre of Manchester for the first time in over a decade.

Phoenix owner Neil Morris, who has been working with Red Hockey to develop the plans, is looking forward to bringing the project to fruition.

He said: “These plans are incredibly exciting and I can’t wait to bring senior ice hockey back to Manchester city centre. We owe it to the club’s supporters to do this and they know what it takes to make it happen.

“Along with over 100 volunteers, we made The Ice Dome a reality. I am confident it can happen again, wherever we go.

“The Manchester Phoenix faithful are the lifeblood of this club and they deserve a great venue.

“That is why I instructed architects to create plans for an arena with an Olympic-sized ice pad and 3,000 seats.”

A number of city centre sites have been identified for the new arena, which will eventually make way for a permanent structure.

Red Hockey Director Paul Baker, who was instrumental in organising venues at the London 2012 Olympics, believes the new arena will be a success.

He said: “The history of ice hockey in Manchester, and especially with the Storm, is all about size. Lots of people in a wonderful, purpose-built facility. That is what we’re building towards. We want to put ice hockey back on the map in the city.

“Investment from Red Hockey is only part of the jigsaw, though. You can never do something like this without the help of partner agencies. That was one of the key successes of London 2012 and there is no reason why we can’t repeat it with Manchester.”

The new venue would move Manchester Phoenix closer to the goal of having a permanent home.

Mr Morris added: “This is a fantastic design that has already been used by many teams across the world. It comes with all its own chillers, seating, bars, catering units and has a state of the art heat pump system for making it very energy efficient. It’s got everything you need to run a successful venue.

“I want this to be a real asset for the community, where the entire Phoenix organisation can find a home.

“When the club moved to Altrincham seven years ago, the intention was to build a permanent home. This is a big step towards that goal.”

An application for planning permission is being prepared will be submitted in due course.