Progress continues at Coralville's Xtream Arena, GreenState Family Fieldhouse

Isaac Hamlet
Iowa City Press-Citizen

Roads covered in slush, salt and mud have closed schools and slowed transit this week, but work on the Xtream Arena in Coralville is moving along on schedule.

On Friday, Josh Schamberger, president of the Iowa City/Coralville Area Visitors Bureau, and Jason McKane, senior project manager at Mortenson Construction, led a tour through the new facility.

"What you see down there is the prep work that’s going for the ice rink slab — it’s a specialized contractor (Ice Builders) that does that type of work," said McKane, standing in the club suite area overlooking a center court that isn't there. "They will be here — we’re targeting the middle of February to pour that slab, and that’s one of our big milestones."

Scoreboards for the arena should go up in the late spring or early summer and work on concessions areas and restrooms around the concourse should begin shortly after.

Adjacent to the arena is the GreenState Family Fieldhouse, a multi-use space planned to have five basketball courts inside. Heavy-duty curtains will make it possible to have separate events run simultaneously in the space.

Brian Hixenbaugh, general manager at the Xtream Arena, speaks as construction continues during a tour of the site, Friday, Jan. 24, 2020, at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

Both the arena and the fieldhouse have been designed to operate simultaneously at full capacity, so an activity occurring in one part will not preclude the other from use.

“This will be space that doesn’t really exist today in eastern Iowa," said Schamberger, looking over the construction zone. "It’s temperature-controlled year-round space of this size. To go get everything from the standards — basketball and volleyball — to cheer and dance and gymnastics, some indoor soccer, wrestling. You name it, we have the potential to host it in this space.”

Overlooking the courts is the Fieldhouse Observation Deck for use by the likes of University of Iowa basketball coaches Fran McCaffery and Lisa Bluder. The observation deck is a place where the coaches can watch games without interacting with the parents in accordance with NCAA rules.

"Or it could be used as a DJ stand if one of the high schools want to have a dance in here or something," Schamberger added.

Some larger potential events might even use both the arena and the fieldhouse simultaneously since each provides access to the other via tunnels.

“In April of 2018 we hosted the UWW World Cup at (Carver-Hawkeye Arena), which is a monster event — top eight wrestling nations from all over the world came here," said Schamberger. "I’ll meet with them next week, but they’re interested in doing a three-year contract starting in (2021). We’re still looking to see if it would work financially."

The 100-room Staybridge Suites hotel — built by Kinseth Hospitality Companies of North Liberty — is set to open in the space and will be accessible from the south entrance and the second floor. The basement of the hotel will also be accessible for fieldhouse players via a "4,500 square-foot team hang space" where youth teams primarily might relax between and before games.

There will also be a 10-year lease on a locker room for whatever hockey tenant eventually moves into the space. The hope is to sign an organization before next fall, but there isn't an immediate requirement to fill the space.

"We want a really good professional hockey tenant that’s going to be in here 10 years," said Schamberger. "So it’s important to us that we take the time to get the right deal and we get something that’s sustainable versus something that’s some big sexy splash that can’t sustain itself and it's gone in two years.”

Schamberger expects the hotel to see a lot of use from out of town teams, particularly those coming in for women's volleyball matches given space will be the primary venue for the Hawkeyes. By doing so, visiting players won't have to go outside in order to get from their hotel room to the court.

The main entrance to the arena will be on the northwest side of the building facing East Ninth Street with a team store that will take up two levels. Above the store will be roughly 17,000 square feet of office space with access to the green roof on the third floor, which has a capacity of 175 people.

"It’ll operate as pre-function space," said Schamberger of the green roof, "or if people just want to hold activities out there."

More than 30,000 square feet on the ground floor of the development will be the new home for the Johnson County Historical Society and the Antique Car Museum of Iowa. The new space means both entities will be able to better display their respective collections than either can in their current location adjacent to the development. The car museum will have a drive-in door and bay to allow vehicles to easily be brought in.

“This is a great opportunity for the museum and the fieldhouse," said Schamberger. "Kids can come in here and see the museum space, mom and dad can go over to 30 Hop, have a glass of wine — there are activities for them to do.”

According to the developers — one of the reasons they're excited about this space is how central it is. The facility's access to hotels, restaurants and other nearby venues will make it appealing for athletes, entertainers and others to host events.

“The goal in the fieldhouse would be no dark days. We really think at some point we can do 365. In the arena, that’s still our goal. It’s probably not a very realistic goal. But we’re looking at 150 dates in the arena," said Brian Hixenbaugh, general manager of the arena. “It could be a mix of dinners, commencements, sporting events, shows, concerts — we’re going to use it in any way we can for sure.”

Isaac Hamlet covers arts, entertainment and culture at the Press-Citizen. Reach him at ihamlet@press-citizen.com or (319)-688-4247, follow him on Twitter @IsaacHamlet