The mood at Climate Pledge Arena Friday was a mix of joy, wonder, curiosity and concrete during "big milestone" of pouring the ice rink foundation, a giant stride closer to Kraken puck drop. Climate Pledge Arena was abuzz with Kraken fans Friday morning. Those enthusiasts also happen to be among the 1,000-plus construction workers on the job site for Seattle's brand-new arena due to open this fall.
The ice slab project started April 12 with a smaller concrete pour to define the slab perimeter and shape (200 feet long by 85 feet wide, rounded in the corners to exact NHL standards). Next was leveling the soil, perfecting the sand base and installing a warming floor that sits at the lowest layer. The warming floor "prevents heaving and provides consistency for the ice floor," said Elliott Veazey, senior director for CAA ICON, which acts as owner's representative for Oak View Group. The warming floor helps prevent the 13 miles of piping above it from freezing.
"It's the greatest milestone of any hockey arena project," said Veazey. "Like me, the workers [taking a peek at the ice pour] are imagining the floor being placed right now is where the Kraken will be skating when they hoist the Stanley Cup. That is a most fantastic thing to think about."
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