ELK GROVE VILLAGE, ILL. — Nicholas Family of Cos. will break ground this fall on the Elk Grove Ice Arena, a new indoor ice rink in the northwest Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village. Scheduled to open in fall 2026, the 86,261-square-foot, two-rink complex will serve the local hockey community and feature a family-friendly restaurant with rooftop access called Hatty’s Icehouse.
The Elk Grove Ice Arena marks Nicholas Family’s third ice arena project in the Chicago area in one year, following its construction of the Rosemont Ice Arena opening this fall and its acquisition of Glacier Ice Arena in Vernon Hills. Nicholas also owns a fourth rink, the Mount Prospect Ice Arena at Nicholas Sportsplex. All four venues are operated by the company’s in-house sports and recreation division, Spectate Group, which plans to expand its staff to accommodate the new facilities. The company’s construction arm, Nicholas & Associates, built all of the venues except for Glacier Ice Arena.
The Elk Grove site is currently occupied by a Staples office supply store, which will be torn down. Designed by ARCON Associates, the rink will feature eight general team locker rooms and eight dedicated locker rooms for Chicago Mission teams. Other elements of the project include a viewing area with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking both rinks, a grab-and-go concept, study areas, a physical therapy clinic and a gym.