The Kraken Iceplex and Community Center will be located at the former Houghton Park & Ride site, 6920 NE 70th Place. Temporary recreation features currently at the 5-acre site will be relocated throughout Kirkland.
Renderings courtesy of Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken and the city of Kirkland announced plans today for a new 80,000-square-foot iceplex at the former Houghton Park & Ride site, 6920 NE 70th Place.
The $60-million privately financed facility — expected to open in fall 2027 — will feature two NHL-regulation ice rinks, a city-operated community center, a public restaurant, and a team store. Kirkland residents will benefit from year-round community events, youth programs, and year-round activities, according to a news release.
The iceplex is expected to generate about $7 million annually in economic activity for Kirkland and the Eastside, including local jobs, attracting new visitors, and benefiting businesses, the release added.
Public programs will be available at the Kraken Iceplex and Community Center, including public skates, field trips, youth and adult learn-to-play classes, recreational hockey, camps, clinics, learn-to-skate classes, private rentals, figure skating training and competitions, and tournaments.
The Kraken, which began NHL play in 2021, will continue to train and maintain staff headquarters at the team’s existing facility, Kraken Community Iceplex in Northgate. Similar public programs will be available in Kirkland, including public skates, field trips, youth and adult learn-to-play classes, recreational hockey, camps, clinics, learn-to-skate classes, private rentals, figure-skating training and competitions, and tournaments, according to the announcement.
“Kirkland is thrilled to welcome the Kraken Iceplex and Community Center as a major new community asset for Kirkland residents, families, and the entire Eastside,” Kirkland Mayor Kelli Curtis said in a statement. “This project will create new opportunities for our community to gather, learn, and play, and it will bring both significant economic investment and the excitement of professional hockey to Kirkland. This partnership delivers public benefit, significant private investment, and long-term economic vitality to our city with no new taxes.”
The team and city began discussions for the facility in September 2024. A lease for the city-owned property was formally approved in December 2025. The team has selected BN Builders for construction and will break ground in May.
The city bought the property in 2024 for recreational use and installed various temporary recreation features, including pickleball courts, while it considered long-term options for the site, according to the city’s website. The temporary Houghton Park and Play will close May 4 to make way for the iceplex project. The city is relocating the temporary Park and Play features, with more information on its website.
“When we built the Kraken Community Iceplex, we were building the first sheets of ice in the city of Seattle,” Kraken CEO Tod Leiweke said in the release. “Its success has been incredible, and we’ve seen the popularity of ice sports grow across our region. We are grateful to the city of Kirkland for their partnership to create our second iceplex and bring the same energy to the Eastside. We want to keep growing the game and meeting our fans where they are.”
Community connection was a theme Leiweke emphasized during a 2021 interview with the 425 Business, which was conducted as the team was about to start its first season.
Since the Northgate facility opened five years ago, the number of players in the adult Kraken Hockey League has increased more than 50% and the number of JR (Junior) Kraken teams has increased from six to 40, according to Krista Leesment, vice president of business operations at Kraken Community Iceplex.
“We also have an average of 2,000 Learn to Skate skaters move through the program leading to hockey or skating each year, showing the popularity of ice sports across the region,” Leesment added in the release.