Gilroy, known for its homegrown garlic, may soon be a destination for something completely different, and a whole lot colder — a year-round indoor ice skating center set to be among the largest in the Bay Area.
The massive ice sports complex will be fully operated by the San Jose Sharks and is slated to open in Fall of 2026 on the southern outskirts of Gilroy as part of the expanding Gilroy Sports Park
“This should be a destination building, and a reason to get off route 101,” said City Manager Jimmy Forbis. “You don’t even have to be there to enjoy the ice… It’s really a community center.”
Unveiled this week, the design plan for Gilroy Ice Center features an 80,000 square-foot complex with two NHL-sized rinks, a café, skate rental, store, and fitness center which will be open to the public. A bar and restaurant will occupy the second floor between the two rinks, allowing visitors to watch hockey matches or skaters through windows overlooking the ice.
The new rinks will host figure skating and ice hockey, as well as low income and after-school programs. The site could also serve as a hub for adult and youth hockey tournaments and curling leagues, which can draw in visitors and tourism said Scott Emmert, Vice President of Communications for the San Jose Sharks.
“I think the biggest thing for us is how excited we are to continue to grow youth hockey in the Bay Area,” said Emmert. “We have a very strong fan base in the South County, so it makes a lot of sense on a lot of fronts.”
This is not the Sharks first foray in operating NHL-sized rinks for public use. The team has partnered with Oakland, San Jose, and Fremont, but Gilroy’s will be among the largest in the Bay Area after the Sharks Ice Center in San Jose.
The reveal follows years of discussion with the San Jose Sharks stretching back to 2018 and 2019, said Forbis. After COVID-19 stalled talks, negotiations reignited in 2022 when the Sharks and Gilroy began to lay out the project. Last year, architecture firm Perkins&Will began design work on the project.
The design, and the project itself, were greeted with a warm reception from the public and the city council when discussed this week.
“I just want to say how pleased I am with how this looks,” said Mayor Marie Blankley. “It’s a real win for Gilroy.”
“It’s something that’s been in the works for a long time …but to now see the fruit of it is exciting,” said City Councilmember Tom Cline. “It’s gonna make a big impact on this community as well as the surrounding area.”
Palemon Fausto, a Gilroy resident and a member of the Nor Cal Carpenters Union, said he worked on the Sharks Ice Center in San Jose and saw its impact — it provided a place for children and families, offering a “great benefit” to the community, he said. “It’s also providing somewhere for our kids to put their energy and (keep) them from staying out in the streets.”
Fausto and other members of the union called on the council to ensure that fair labor practices and local union labor were used during construction. The call was echoed by Councilmembers Zach Hilton and Rebeca Armendariz, who urged city staff and fellow councilmembers to include contract language that prevented labor abuses, such as wage theft and human trafficking, in the massive project.
City staff will begin taking bids for a contractor to build the project later this year. Current estimates for the cost of construction hover between $30 – $35 million. The project will be paid for by the Sharks through a bond measure, which involves Gilroy borrowing the money and the Sharks paying the bill.
Source: www.mercurynews.com