Seattle’s NHL franchise is teaming up with the City of Kirkland to turn a former park-and-ride into a two-sheet ice hub that backers say will supercharge local skating without tapping new local taxes.
On Wednesday, the Seattle Kraken and Kirkland officials announced plans for a two-rink Kraken Iceplex and an attached Kirkland Community Center on the former Houghton Park & Ride site, with construction expected to kick off this spring and an opening targeted for fall 2027. The public-private project is slated to include two NHL-regulation rinks, a city-operated community center, a full-service restaurant and a Kraken team store, all under agreements the city says safeguard public interests. Team and city leaders say the complex will expand youth and adult skating opportunities and could bring in roughly $7 million a year in local economic activity.
What the Kraken announced
According to the Seattle Kraken, the Iceplex is scheduled to break ground in May 2026 and open in fall 2027, with learn-to-skate classes, youth and adult leagues, figure-skating programs and year-round tournaments on tap. “The growth we’ve seen since the arrival of the Kraken has been incredible,” Martin Hlinka, the Kraken’s youth hockey director, said in the announcement. The team says the facility will work with schools and nonprofits to widen access to skating across the Eastside.
Houghton Park changes
The Iceplex footprint sits on the former Houghton Park and Ride, and the city has slated the temporary Park and Play site to close in early May to clear the way for construction, according to the City of Kirkland. The parks page notes that temporary community-garden plots, pickleball courts and a modular skate park will be relocated or upgraded elsewhere in Kirkland as crews move in. City staff say they will work to keep disruption as low as possible for people who currently use the pop-up amenities while the project advances.
Programming and projected impact
The Kraken say the Iceplex will offer everything from sensory-friendly public skates and tot play hours to adult co-ed leagues and competitive youth tiers, with private rentals and birthday parties also in the mix. The team estimates the new facility could generate about $7 million in annual economic activity for Kirkland and the Eastside, per the announcement. Officials are pitching the project as a way to relieve pressure on existing rinks while opening more entry points into the sport.
City protections and public benefits
The City of Kirkland says the public-private deal preserves key protections and calls for the city to assume ownership at the end of a long lease, a structure officials say will keep the facility under community control in the long run. Per the City of Kirkland, every Kirkland resident will receive two hours of free open skate time each month, and discounted programming will be available for low-income and vulnerable residents through the One Roof Foundation. City leaders also highlight potential job creation and added foot traffic for nearby businesses, framing the project as a fit with the NE 85th Street Station Area vision.
Context and next steps
The announcement moves forward a concept that has been publicly discussed for more than two years. A 2024 article on rising youth hockey demand covered the initial pitch, and local TV captured the teams’ April 29 announcement. KING5 includes video of the event and local reaction. Officials say more details on programming, community outreach and schedules will follow as design work progresses.
For residents, the coming months will offer a front-row seat as long-discussed concepts turn into construction fencing and site prep, with chances to weigh in during the city’s outreach phase. Local youth-sports groups and business leaders have already signaled support for more ice time and recreation space on the Eastside. We will update readers as the city releases permitting documents and the Kraken publishes its programming calendar.
