PROVO -- Builders of The Peaks Ice Arena are pushing hard to get the venue finished before the first of several pre-Olympic events comes to town early next year.
Several delays have put construction workers on a tight schedule to complete the building by late January or early February, the same time The Peaks is to host a short-track speed-skating meet between the American and Canadian national teams. The competition is scheduled for Jan. 29 to 31, said Bill Bridges, The Peaks president and chief executive officer."They just feel stress because they want to get these events going," said Provo City Councilman David Rail, a member of the Provo City/ Utah County Ice Sheet Authority.
Difficulty in getting some equipment and waiting for concrete to cure in the cold weather has slowed construction, said Mayor Lewis Billings, Ice Sheet Authority chairman. Installation of bleachers around the main ice rink also has been delayed, he said.
Officials have pushed back the arena's grand opening one week to Feb. 24.
"We want to make sure everything is 100 percent ready to go," Bridges said.
The Peaks opened one of the $12 million facility's two ice sheets last month. The practice or public rink on the south side of the building has no permanent bleachers. The competition rink on the north will have 2,400 permanent seats. Some 6,100 temporary seats will be put in for the 2002 Winter Games.
Billings said the Ice Sheet Authority last week urged contractors to do whatever they can to get the venue prepared for January's short-track speed-skating meet. If the main rink isn't done, he said, temporary seats could be set up around the practice ice sheet.
"We would prefer to do it on the north rink, but it may not be quite ready," Bridges said.
Officials aren't expecting thousands of spectators for the competition. Arrangements are being made to bring in temporary stands to seat about 500 to 800 people, Bridges said.
"It will be a great event," said Bridges, adding it will be the first in a series of "test" events the Salt Lake Organizing Committee will stage prior to the Olympics. The Peaks currently is slated to host only women's hockey matches during the Games.
The short-track speed-skating contest is part of SLOC's Olympic development program, Bridges said. It will allow area children who are just being introduced to the sport a chance to see racers in action.
Ice time at the new venue is already hard to come by. Local hockey teams, figure skating clubs and public skating sessions occupy the rink seven days a week.