ST. CLOUD — The $17 million renovation of the Municipal Athletic Complex’s hockey rinks is behind schedule.
MAC Operations Manager Todd Bissett said Tuesday, Nov. 25, the project fell behind by “a month-and-a-half” this summer when crews encountered poor soil conditions while digging underground.
The St. Cloud City Council approved a $10.4 million agreement with Apex Facility Solutions in October 2024 to upgrade the refrigeration and mechanical systems for the Dave Torrey and Ritsche Arena ice rinks. The city closed bids on Dec. 19, 2024, for a $7 million construction phase that will add three new locker rooms for high school teams that call the MAC home, a dryland training area, more space for Zambonis and housing of mechanical systems, and a new roof to the building.
The city’s $7 million portion of the $17 million project is coming from an existing local sales tax for community facilities.
A look at the new ammonia refrigerant system on top of the Municipal Athletic Complex on November, 28, 2025, in St. Cloud.
Andy Rennecke / St. Cloud LIVE
“The crew encountered soil issues we didn’t expect,” Bissett said. “They found more peat soil, which is spongy and not good for the footings of the building, than they thought they would. They had to dig down further and bring in other materials like sand to pack down the footings. It was a long process, but it’s rectified. I don’t think this building will ever move now.”
The city sought the most affordable ways to keep the project on track. By digging up more dirt, and adding sand and concrete to the MAC’s footings, Bissett said the project won’t go much over its $17 million budget, though it didn’t come online prior to the hockey season, as planned.
“We might be $100,000 to $200,000 over our budget in the long run,” Bissett said. “This is a 53-year-old building and it has been cut apart two or three times. We knew we were going to run into things we didn’t expect. It’s like watching a home improvement show on HGTV. You open something up and there’s something you didn’t know would be there.
“Everybody is still on the same page and we’re going to deliver with a great finished product.”
The St. Cloud Cathedral boys hockey team practices at Dave Torrey Arena inside the Municipal Athletic Complex on Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in St. Cloud.
Andy Rennecke / St. Cloud LIVE
Some parts of the project are already complete, including a new LED lighting system in Torrey and Ritsche Arenas and 980 solar panels on the new roof to help power the building. The lighting system has added notable brightness to both arenas.
“Those solar panels will help us generate 400 to 500 kilowatts per year,” Bissett said. “That’s going to make our Xcel Energy bill a lot lower.”
The MAC had to decommission its R-22 refrigerant cooling system and install a more environmentally friendly system that will use ammonia. The new mechanical systems will save more than $140,000 a year in utilities and another $40,000 in operating costs. Savings from the new solar array could yield a $370,000 incentive toward the construction cost of the project.
“We’re going to have to wait another month until we can use the new refrigerant system,” Bissett said. “Right now, we’re using one compressor room for two zambonis. We’re getting by and running on a temporary chiller for both rinks.
“All of the teams that use the building have been patient with us, which we appreciate. They know it’s going to be better in the long run and that this is a busy time of the year for us.”
The last time the MAC went through an extensive renovation was in December 1997 when a second sheet of ice was opened. The city estimates 300,000 people go through the MAC annually. The
(boys and girls teams) and
boys hockey team use both rinks for their home games.
and St. Cloud Norsemen (a junior team in the NAHL) also rent the facility for home games.
Three new locker rooms for the Crush boys and girls hockey teams and Cathedral are near completion. Each locker room will include bathrooms, showers, rooms for coaches and equipment and lockers for up to 38 players. Bissett hopes the teams can get into their new locker rooms by the Granite City Showcase, which starts on Monday, Dec. 29.
“That’s a big positive because those high school teams have never had their own locker rooms in here,” Bissett said. “The earliest they’ll get in there is late December, but I’m hoping the latest they’ll be in there is mid-January. I’m excited for those teams and I know they’re excited to use them. The floors are poured and the bathrooms are good to go. We’re waiting on lockers, paint and rubber flooring.”
A look at one of the zambonis that is stored between Ritsche and Torrey Arenas inside the Municipal Athletic Complex in St. Cloud.
Andy Rennecke / St. Cloud LIVE
New windows were installed on the east side of the building where the dryland training room will be.
The dryland training area will include an area for shooting pucks, a turf lane that could also be used for golf or baseball hitting simulators, sprint running lanes and open floor space for exercise equipment. The training facilities will have to be rented out, just as they would for ice time on the Torrey and Ritsche sheets.
Bissett is hoping the training area will be available for players to use by early January.
“We’re 60-70% done with the entire project,” Bissett said. “It’s just been a waiting game. But once everything is put together, this place is going to look outstanding.”
MAC renovation highlights
Three new locker rooms for St. Cloud Crush (girls and boys) and St. Cloud Cathedral boys hockey teamsLocker rooms will each include new bathrooms, showers, coaches rooms and up to 38 lockersNew dryland training area on mezzanine levelNew Zamboni space13,000-foot addition on east end of Ritsche ArenaNew environmentally-friendly refrigeration and mechanical systemsNew roof equipped with solar arraysNew LED lighting system
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