The new arena will be taken over by Jihlava a week later, the date of the first hockey match remains unchanged

Jihlava - The Jihlava city hall has extended the deadline for the construction company to hand over the arena by a week from today due to the installation of unique LED technology in the center of the rink. The date for the first hockey game remains unchanged; Jihlava’s Dukla will face Zlín on October 25. The number of spectators will be reduced by half for the first three games due to the launch of the new arena. This was stated today by Jihlava councilor and arena construction manager David Beke (ODS).

He also noted that the arena was successfully built on time and within the expected budget.

The construction of the arena will cost 1.9 billion crowns, plus nearly 200 million for equipment. The ceremonial opening of the arena will take place on November 8.

The extension of the final works by a few days was caused by the city taking up an offer from a Finnish company to place a unique LED display in the center circle. "This technology will be the first permanent installation in the world. This also comes with various unknowns that ultimately delayed us in preparing the ice surface,” Beke stated.

The multipurpose arena is being built by the city with the help of subsidies. Beke pointed out that when the time for demolishing the old ice rink is deducted, the construction lasted just under two years. "This is an extraordinarily large and complex project with lots of technologies; the last similar one was built in Třinec more than ten years ago," he noted.

The arena will initially operate in test mode, and the use of technologies will be limited to the necessary minimum at the start. "So that we can handle them and that the staff can learn to operate it as well,” Beke said. He added that the city wants to allow the public and hockey players into the hall as soon as possible. At the same time, he requested tolerance if everything is not perfect on the first try. If no issues arise, the first game in the arena at full capacity could be on November 1.

Around 5,500 spectators will be able to attend sports events in the Horácká arena in full operation, while for concerts, over 7,400.

The arena can host sports and cultural events, trade fairs, or conferences. Around the central area, LED boards have been installed, which can display animations, advertisements, or information for fans. On the roof of the arena, there is a running track measuring 230 meters. The hotel next to it contains 29 rooms, and there is also a fitness center and various dining facilities.