IEDC OKs Trine $2.8 million funding request for ice arena and recreation center

Expected to be completed in fall 2017, the 46,200-square-foot, 700-seat ice arena will serve as the home for Trine University’s new men’s and women’s hockey teams. It also will host club and youth hockey programs for the Steuben County YMCA and local school corporations, and will be open to the public for skating at designated times.

The 3,000-seat MTI Center will have three basketball courts, a six-lane bowling alley, a competitive video gaming center and fitness center. The 74,840-square-foot building also will serve as an entertainment venue for audiences larger than those currently served by the T. Furth Center for Performing Arts. It is expected to be finished in 2018.

The Northeast Indiana RDA was established last year to decide how to distribute $42 million in funds granted to the 11-county region through Indiana’s Regional Cities Initiative. The IEDC retains the right of final approval, however.

The Regional Cities funding represents about 15 percent of the projects’ $18.9 million cost. Private donations in the amount of $13.5 million have been pledged, Trine said in its statement, and $1.4 million in in-kind donations for streets, sidewalks and storm drainage will be contributed by the city of Angola.