If You Build It, They Will Come... Part 3

At a city council meeting in May, 2001, Massillon City Council cheerfully accepted a one million dollar state grant to prepare Agathon Park for Massillon's new 6,500 seat arena. The hockey team, the Arctic Express, were in debt, and being sued. They had 100 people show up at their last game, and the arena developers, MG Dove, had yet to get financing, but this didn't stop Massillon City Council from accepting one million dollars of our taxes to prepare the site for arena construction.

Meanwhile, the Arctic Express are looking to play somewhere else, and the United Hockey League Commissioner admitted that he didn't think the team would be playing hockey in Massillon next year.

Problem Solved?

On June 19, 2001, The Repository announced that the arena investors, MG Corp and Dove Enterprises (MG Dove) have received financing to build the arena. They thank Massillon's Mayor for Life for cooperating with the developers to the satisfaction of the lenders. It looks like Massillon's beloved Arctic Express is back on track! In August, the State of Ohio sends Massillon the one million dollars for the arena's site preparation. According to Mayor Cicchinelli, the state grant is "the last piece of the puzzle" (The Repository, August 7, 2001).

The Arctic Express must have been giddy with excitement about playing hockey in their new Massillon arena. Nope. They closed their offices in late August, 2001, but the City of Massillon was pressing on. Even if the hockey team closed up shop, the city was still going to build an arena for them to play in. If you build it, they will come back.

October 2, 2001, It's On!

On October 2, 2001, ground was broken for the new 6,500 seat Massillon Arena. There was nothing but joy in Hockeytown as United Hockey League officials, and city officials were on hand for the momentous and happy occasion. Later that morning, MG Dove invited Massillon's movers and shakers to the Lions Lincoln Theatre, to sell them premium seating and luxury suites to Massillon's new arena. They were happy to take a down payment so that you could lock in the best seats in the house when the arena was up and running. It was nothing but blue skies in Hockeytown as local folks and businesses plunked down deposits for luxury suites at Massillon's soon to be built state of the art hockey arena.

To be continued...