The Urban Plains Center and Tournament Facility in Fargo, N.D., is a 15-acre
(6-hectare), $44 million sports arena. The construction project began in June 2007. A single-rink facility was completed in fall 2008, and a four-rink facility is planned. Once complete, the facility will have five arenas with ice sheets, 37 locker rooms, 40 luxury suites and 300 club suites. The main arena has a capacity of 6,000 for basketball/volleyball and 5,000 for hockey; one tournament facility will seat approximately 2,000 for basketball/volleyball and 1,600 for hockey; and three other tournament facilities will seat approximately 800 each.
Fargo community leaders formed the Metro Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization that owns and operates the facility, with representatives from Fargo Youth Icemakers, Fargo Parks, Fargo Public Schools and the United States Hockey League. Permanent tenants of the facility include Fargo Youth Hockey, Fargo Public Schools, Shanley Hockey and a new USHL team, the Fargo Force.
Designed for both basketball and hockey site lines, the facility will host tournaments for both, in addition to volleyball. It can also host figure skating shows and competitions, along with concerts and other events. The center also includes concession areas, restaurants, retail space and a training center.
The project was divided into phases, with one designing team and drafting team assigned to the main arena and the four-rink arena. The first phase was completed by the Fargo Force’s first home game on Oct. 30, 2008, and consisted of a 211-foot(64-m), single-slope clear span frame with a maximum eave height of approximately 55 feet (17 m), plus a unique warped roof. The four-rink building will be 280 feet (85 m) wide with one interior column. Ceco Building Systems, Columbus, Miss., supplied the metal buildings for the project.
One of the largest projects handled by Ceco’s Midwestern region, the project required a web depth of 80 inches (2,032 mm) with mostly 1 1/2- inch (38-mm) flanges. The frame segments maxed out the pull-through welder for weight, as well as crane capabilities at 10,000 pounds
(4,500 kg). Two-inch- (51-mm-) thick bolting plates and 150 webs were cut outside the plant on steel horses using a rail torch because of either thickness or width. Some webs were 1 1/4-inch
(32-mm) thick.
In addition, a variety of metal wall panels clad the building. IPS, Stafford, Texas, supplied 12,700 square feet (1,180 m2) of 3-inch
(76-mm) ESP series panels in Light Stone; 5,259 square feet (489m2) of 24-gauge reverse-rolled MVW panels in Ash Gray are from Ceco; and from Houston-based MBCI, 11,325 square feet (1,052 m2) of 24-gauge PBC panels in Slate Gray and 5,580 square feet (518 m2) of 24-gauge 7.2 panels in Charcoal Gray were used.
ICON Architectural Group, Fargo, was the design-builder, and Olaf Anderson and Son, Fargo, was the general contractor.
Ceco Building Systems
IPS
MBCI
