An $80 Million Ice Rink Complex Is Coming to Lakewood Ranch — Here's What We Know

Lakewood Ranch is getting an ice sports complex — and not a small one. On June 16, 2026, the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a public-private partnership to bring a 190,000-square-foot, four-rink indoor sports multiplex to Premier Sports Campus. Here's everything confirmed so far.

The facility: 190,000 square feet, four ice rinks

The complex will feature four ice rinks, including one arena with approximately 2,500 permanent seats. The ice surfaces are designed to be covered and converted for non-ice events like basketball, volleyball, cheerleading competitions, dance events, consumer shows, and community gatherings. The facility will also include retail space, restaurants, and sports medicine services.

For context, this would be one of the largest ice sports facilities in the Southeast — designed to host hockey, figure skating, curling, and tournament play alongside a full lineup of non-ice events.

Who is building it

Icemann Development LLC, based in Wesley Chapel, Florida, will design, build, maintain, and operate the venue. The company's CEO is Gordie Zimmermann. Icemann's track record includes two major Florida ice facilities: the TGH Iceplex (built since 1997), which serves as the Tampa Bay Lightning's training facility with two NHL-sized ice pads, and AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel (completed February 2017), which spans over 150,000 square feet with three NHL-sized pads, one Olympic-sized pad, and a mini rink. AdventHealth Center Ice is described as the largest ice sports complex in the Southeast.

Location and deal structure

The complex will be built on a 22-acre parcel of county-owned land at Premier Sports Campus North, near the Lakewood Ranch Library along State Road 70 east of Lorraine Road. The deal is structured as a 60-year land lease with an option for one additional 30-year extension.

During the first three years (construction and startup), rent is $1 per year. In year four, rent increases to $100,000 per year, then rises 2% annually from year five onward. Manatee County's Tourist Development Council recommended up to $5 million in tourist tax funding for horizontal infrastructure on a reimbursement basis.

Timeline

Site plan approvals are targeted for completion by the end of 2026. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, with a targeted opening in summer 2028 — assuming approvals and financing stay on schedule.

Economic impact

Market research commissioned for the project projects the facility could generate an additional $30 million in annual economic impact through tournaments, events, and visitor spending. That aligns with the broader strategy behind Premier Sports Campus, which already draws thousands of visitors annually for soccer, lacrosse, and other sporting events.

What this means for Lakewood Ranch buyers

This is another data point in the story of Lakewood Ranch building out its lifestyle infrastructure. Between the $44.2 million Athletics and Aquatics Center opening September 2026, the 86,000 sq ft Life Time athletic club opening October 2026, and now an $80 million ice sports complex targeting 2028 — the community is adding non-residential amenities at a pace we haven't seen before.

For families with kids in hockey, figure skating, or just looking for year-round indoor activities, this fills a gap that currently requires a drive to Tampa or Wesley Chapel. For home values near Premier Sports Campus — particularly in the eastern Lakewood Ranch villages — these investments in sports tourism infrastructure add long-term demand drivers to the area.

If you're considering a move to Lakewood Ranch and want to understand which villages are closest to Premier Sports Campus and these new amenities, reach out. I can walk you through the options.