Firm’s third new rink built or acquired in a year adds to growing portfolio; Spectate Group to manage
Elk Grove Ice Arena Exterior (Courtesy of ARCON Associates)
Nicholas Family of Companies has announced it will break ground this fall on the Elk Grove Ice Arena, a new indoor ice rink on Meacham Road in Elk Grove Village, Ill., about 25 miles northwest of Chicago. Scheduled to open in fall 2026, the 86,261-square-foot, two-rink complex will serve the local hockey community and feature a family-friendly restaurant with rooftop access called Hatty’s Icehouse.
The Elk Grove Ice Arena marks Nicholas Family of Companies’ third ice arena project in the Chicago area in just one year, following its construction of the Rosemont Ice Arena, a twin-sheet, 100,000-square-foot facility opening this fall in Rosemont; and its acquisition of Glacier Ice Arena, a two-rink, 63,000-square-foot facility in Vernon Hills. Nicholas also owns a fourth rink, the Mount Prospect Ice Arena at Nicholas Sportsplex in Mount Prospect.
All four venues are operated by the company’s in-house sports and recreation division, Spectate Group, which plans to expand its staff to accommodate the new facilities. The company’s construction arm, Nicholas & Associates, built all of the venues except for Glacier Ice Arena, which was acquired rather than developed.
Elk Grove Ice Arena Aerial. (Courtesy of ARCON Associates)
“Hockey has seen incredible growth in recent years, and as a family deeply involved in the sport, we’ve felt the strain of limited rink availability — especially when kids are stuck practicing late at night,” said Nick Papanicholas Jr., chief executive officer and managing director of the Nicholas Family of Companies. “This new facility is our way of helping meet that demand and creating more accessible opportunities for youth programs in the region.
“Unlike some investors, we’re not just building these facilities — we’re running them, too,” he added. “As owners and operators, we understand what it takes to make them successful.”
Like other Nicholas rinks, the Elk Grove Village facility will provide a “hat trick” of community benefits: prime after-school, weekday evening and weekend morning ice time for youth hockey groups and ice skaters; post-10 p.m. nightly ice time for adult hockey leagues; and dedicated time for the Chicago Mission boys’ hockey league practices and games. Situated less than 10 miles west of O’Hare International Airport, the new arena is also well positioned to attract regional and national hockey tournaments.
The site is currently occupied by a Staples office supply store, which will be torn down to make way for the new development. Residents have expressed interest in seeing the property redeveloped for years, and the upcoming project is expected to serve local families.
“Similar to our partnership with Rosemont, we’ve collaborated closely with the Village of Elk Grove and the local community to make sure the project is aligned with what the village wants for this space,” Papanicholas continued. “From the very start, we’ve recognized the significant impact this arena will have — not just for players and their families, but for the surrounding business community as well.”
Elk Grove Ice Arena Interior (Courtesy of ARCON Associates)
Designed by architectural firm ARCON Associates, the new arena will have eight general team locker rooms and eight dedicated locker rooms for Chicago Mission teams. Other featured elements include: a viewing area with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking both rinks; a second-floor restaurant with private dining space and a rooftop terrace; an elevated ground-level grab-and-go concept; study areas; a physical therapy clinic; and a gym. The arena also will have staff space and team amenities for the Chicago Mission hockey club.
Fueled in part by a new wave of female fans, the National Hockey League is consistently reporting higher revenue YOY, increased ratings and record-setting attendance, with arenas filled to more than 96% capacity. There were 389,820 registered youth hockey players in 2023-24, up from 340,000 in 2009-10, and over 90,000 girls under age 18 are registered to play, almost surpassing Canada, according to USA Hockey.
