Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. (April 5, 2024) – The Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation, Inc. (PBNAF), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is proud to announce a public-private partnership agreement for the development of a state-of-the-art ice skating facility in Palm Beach Gardens. The City of Palm Beach Gardens voted in favor of a 40-year lease agreement at a City Council meeting on Thursday, April 4. PBNAF will develop and operate the facility at Plant Drive Park, with an anticipated opening in the summer of 2026.
The $40 million project will feature a minimum of two National Hockey League (NHL) size rinks utilized for youth hockey, figure skating, public skating, adult leagues, curling, and sled hockey. PBNAF hopes to incorporate a third NHL-sized ice rink pending further progress in its fundraising endeavors. The ice skating facility will also feature a full-service restaurant and sports bar, a retail store, training space, academy space, and a dedicated medical space sponsored by the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). Leading the project is PBNAF Founder and President Michael Winter, with support from NFL legend and PBNAF board member, Tucker Frederickson. The Foundation plans to develop a world-class, indoor ice skating facility for people of all ages and abilities in the Palm Beach County community.
“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Palm Beach Gardens, and we thank our many constituents in the community that have supported us and made this partnership possible,” said Winter. “As members of this special community, we are looking forward to a long and rewarding relationship with the city and its residents.”
The development of the project has also garnered support from renowned leaders in ice hockey, including hockey coach and philanthropist Larry Robbins and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky. Both Robbins and Gretzky lend their support to expand and enhance ice sports across South Florida to serve more people in the community and elevate the competitiveness of youth hockey in the region.
A prominent supporter of the facility, Larry Robbins and the Robbins Family Foundation committed a substantial leadership gift to PBNAF to ensure the project’s timeline will be achieved. Robbins is CEO of Glenview Capital Management and a passionate hockey enthusiast, as a former player and captain at the University of Pennsylvania, an 18-year youth coach at the North Jersey Avalanche, and an eight-year owner and CEO of the Chicago Steel, both of which elevated to become hockey powerhouses in junior and youth hockey.
“My wife Sarahmay and I are thrilled to relocate our family to Palm Beach Gardens, an active, hardworking, and optimistic community whose only shortcoming is a current lack of ice skating facilities to serve the growing base of passionate hockey players and figure skaters,” said Robbins. “We are thrilled to partner with Mike, Tucker, Wayne, and the entire PBNAF team and family to bring this new centerpiece of the community to life, while creating a platform for our youth to enjoy and learn the critical values of persistence, teamwork, passion, and purpose.”
Wayne Gretzky plans to utilize the new ice skating facility to host Gretzky Hockey School, one of the premier hockey schools in the world founded in 2014 by he and his son Ty Gretzky. Gretzky is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1999, and has been widely acclaimed as the greatest ice hockey player of all time by numerous writers, players, and the NHL. To this day, Gretzky holds the record for most career goals, assists, and points scored in NHL history. Upon his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
“Together with my son, we’re honored to expand the reach of our hockey school to more residents in Palm Beach County,” said Gretzky. “Hockey has the power to unite communities, and we are thrilled to be a part of bringing that unity to even more people to cultivate a new era of hockey enthusiasts.”
PBNAF and its supporters are excited to create a sense of unity and recreation through ice sports in the South Florida community.
For more information on the project, visit pbnsportsplex.com.
About the Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation
The Palm Beach North Athletic Foundation (PBNAF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) comprised of passionate individuals committed to developing a state-of-the-art, indoor ice skating facility in Palm Beach Gardens through a cooperative agreement with the city. The PBNAF’s mission is to develop and operate a world-class indoor community ice skating facility, providing people of all ages and abilities a safe environment to help them achieve their goals and develop the skills needed for success in life. Their vision is to create a legacy in Palm Beach County by improving the quality of life for families by promoting healthy, active lifestyles through sports, while building a community through shared experiences that will help youth and adults develop their full potential socially, physically, and emotionally. For more information, visit pbnsportsplex.com.
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