Kraken's $60M Kirkland Iceplex Is Coming to the Eastside, and Hockey in Seattle Is About to Explode

The Seattle Kraken just made a massive move off the ice. On Wednesday, the team and the City of Kirkland announced a $60 million iceplex that's coming to the Eastside, and this is the kind of infrastructure play that changes how a region grows around a sport. The facility is going up at the former Houghton Park & Ride site, and it's going to be a beast: two NHL-regulation ice rinks, a city-operated community center, a public restaurant, and a team store, all wrapped into an 80,000-square-foot package.

A Public-Private Partnership That Works

Here's what makes this thing actually smart: there are no new taxes. The Kraken is privately financing the whole project while partnering with the city to make sure the community gets real value back. Kirkland Mayor Kelli Curtis called it exactly right, saying the iceplex will create "opportunities for our community to gather, learn, and play" while bringing significant economic investment without hitting residents in the wallet.

The numbers are legit too. The facility is expected to generate an estimated $7 million each year in economic activity for Kirkland and the Eastside. That's local jobs, new visitors, and real benefits for area businesses. This isn't some trophy project sitting empty half the year. It's designed to drive sustained growth for the region.

From Dream to Reality: Timeline and What's Next

The Kraken and Kirkland started talking about this in September 2024, and the lease got formally approved in December 2025. BN Builders is handling construction, and they're breaking ground in May 2026. The facility is expected to open in fall 2027.

The Kraken will keep training and maintaining its staff headquarters at the existing Kraken Community Iceplex in Northgate. But the Kirkland facility will bring the same energy to the Eastside with public skates, youth and adult learn-to-play classes, recreational hockey, camps, clinics, learn-to-skate classes, private rentals, figure skating training and competitions, and tournaments.

Tod Leiweke, the Kraken's CEO, summed it up perfectly: "When we built the Kraken Community Iceplex, we were building the first sheets of ice in the city of Seattle. Its success has been incredible, and we've seen the popularity of ice sports grow across our region." Now it's the Eastside's turn to get that same treatment. The game is growing, and the Kraken is building the infrastructure to match.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.