East Brunswick's New Ice Arena Set To Reshape Local Economic Future

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - The opening of the new ice arena in East Brunswick is bringing with it youth hockey, figure skating, and what Mayor Brad Cohen is calling a major economic opportunity for the township.

The facility celebrated its grand opening over the weekend with a robust turnout, featuring open skating sessions, figure skating displays, and appearances by two hockey teams — the Mercer Chiefs and the Princeton Tiger Lilies, a girls program, Cohen said during Monday’s council meeting.

"It was by all accounts a real major success," Cohen said. "There was a ton of people that showed up, a lot of different programming that was going on."

The arena was built on time and under budget using union labor, with contractors drawn largely from the surrounding area.

"Every day that we were there looking at work being done, it was another contractor with an address that's close to here, employing people in our community," Cohen said. "I think that's what gets driven home when you see the men and women in labor working here in our building — they get a sense of pride out of that."

Beyond the ice, the mayor said the facility is already creating jobs for young residents and will serve as a venue for summer camp programs.

But Cohen's ambitions for the arena go further than youth sports. "It becomes an economic driver for many other things," he said.

He pointed to a hockey tournament held two weeks before the opening, which drew visitors from New York who filled local restaurants.

"I guarantee you, give it six months, and the businesses in the community are now busier," Cohen said. "And if they're busier, then it encourages higher-end, more businesses to continue to come here, because they know there's the demand — and that's exactly what something like this does."

Cohen credited the township council for making the project possible.

"It was certainly never just one person — it was a whole team, and it would never have happened without the support of this council," he said. "So I thank you for helping us get that and putting the green light that allowed it to happen."

Have a correction or a news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com