Northfield Ice Arena

Located less than an hour from the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metro, Northfield, MN, boasts two colleges and a growing suburban population of nearly 15,000. To address future community recreation needs, the City started with the addition of a new ice arena to replace their over 50-year-old failing facility. JLG worked with the City of Northfield to design a future-ready, sustainable arena that could expand with program demand while enhancing community connection and well-being. To be completed in the fall of 2026, JLG’s systems-thinking approach integrates LEED ice arena criteria into 51,304 SF of new construction, including healthy interior materials, arena daylighting, and well-placed bicycle parking to encourage active transportation. JLG also ensured its design could grow with the City, providing increased seating capacity and adaptable space for a future ice arena expansion to the north. The Arena’s design celebrates nature through artistic interpretation of the Cannon River shape and its tributaries on the building’s façade, including a rectangular canopy with an oval-shaped roof opening that channels rainwater irrigation to a single, intentionally planted tree.The pedestrian pathway wraps around the building, with concrete joints aligned to the façade’s gaps to create a continuous line that visually extends from the ground into the vertical architectural elements. Northfield’s sustainably designed ice arena will lower operational costs, catalyze community activity, and honor the history and natural character of its river surroundings.