The Five Flags Center has announced that enough money has been raised to build a new ice arena in Dubuque. The Mystique Casino is helping to fund the project, which will remove the Thunderbirds franchise and replace it with a new USHL team. The arena will seat around 3,000 fans and the $7 million facility is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2010.
I think its great that Dubuque has this opportunity now. Playing at the Five Flags Center has always raised problems for the hockey team and anyone else who plays hockey or figure skates in the area. Now they will no longer need to commute to Platteville, WI or Davenport to get ice time. It's pretty ambitious that they expect it to be built in less than a year, though. Hopefully they can really stay on track.
It is a little sad to see the Thunderbirds go, but I think this new USHL team will really flourish in Dubuque. It's smack dab in the middle on the road trips to Greenbay, close to Cedar Rapids and Waterloo. It should make for a nice rivalry. Also, southern Wisconsin has a TON of hockey fans that have to travel to Madison (for the most part) if they want to see solid hockey. This should bring in a lot of people and grow into a strong organization if done right.
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