Keene Exposition Center On Track

The Keene Sentinel is reporting that a proposed exposition and athletic center is still on track and that one of three sites around the Keene, New Hampshire, area will likely be chosen. The three locations being considered are a railroad yoard near Main Street, the NGM Insurance parking lot, and a city-owned location at 350 Marlboro Street.

Plans call for a 100,000 square foot facility that will have an indoor ice arena (with seating for about 400) and a field house (seating for about 6,500). The ice center will potentially have two ice rinks, and the field house would be able to accomodate soccer, tennis, track, and lacorosse.

Before construction can begin, a feasibility study of the three sites needs to be completed. An initial timeline suggests that that process will be completed by March. Of the three plots, the old railroad yard is most likely to be rejected because of a project that is currently being built on the same plot. The required space for the complex most likely will exceed the available space once that other project is completed.

If everything goes according to plan, construction could begin in 2009, and the project could be completed by 2010. If estimates are correct, the construction phase of the project will take about 15 months.