When Seattle’s yet-to-be-named NHL team skates its first game, it will do so on ice made from rainwater.
The rebuilt arena will be carbon neutral and eventually zero-waste, the new ownership pledged on Thursday, June 25. Amazon also secured the naming rights for the rebuilt arena.
“Instead of calling it Amazon Arena, we’re naming it Climate Pledge Arena as a regular reminder of the urgent need for climate action,” the company’s CEO, Jeff Bezos, wrote on Instagram. The NHL team and the WNBA’s Storm will hold games there, and the building will also hold concerts and other events.
Offsite solar farms will provide electricity, and the building and its operations will run on renewable energy, including all-electric dehumidification systems. “Even the zamboni’s electric,” said Seattle architect Jason F. McLennan in a video about the project. The arena’s roof is the same that was built for the 1962 World’s Fair and was used for the site’s previous building, the Key Arena.
By 2024, the arena will be zero-plastic. There won’t be any trash cans, only bins for compost and recycling. Seventy-five percent of food served at the arena will be come from local sources, and unused food will go to community programs. Game tickets can be used as public transit passes, as incentive for attendees not to drive, the developers announced.
With all the eco-friendly initiatives, the projects’ creators are hoping to earn Zero Carbon Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), which promotes green building practices. The arena has experienced some construction delays but should be ready for the 2021-2022 hockey season.
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