Groundbreaking for the McKendree Metro Rec Plex set for October 15, 2015

The lead developer, Mr. Dean Oelze, of S.I. Strategy, LLC is proud to announce the ground breaking for the McKendree Metro Rec Plex in the Four Points Commercial Development. The ceremony, scheduled for October 15, 2015 at 2:00 PM, will take place at the project site, located at the intersection of U.S. Hwy 50 and Scott Troy Road in O’Fallon, Ill.

“After more than two years of planning and design, it is with great enthusiasm that we are beginning the construction of the McKendree Metro Rec Plex. This facility will be the first phase in the development of The Four Points Center, which is a mixed use development that will encompass 45 acres for retail, hospitality, professional office and of course recreation. It has been a pleasure working with a number of talented professionals, city leaders and organizations during the planning phase of this project. I would especially like to thank Mayor Gary Graham, the city council members of O’Fallon, Ill., McKendree University, and the Southern Illinois Ice Hawks for their support in this project, as well as Poettker Construction Company, Sink Combs Dethlefs, and Curl and Associates for their efforts during the design and development,” stated Mr. Oelze.

The state of the art McKendree Metro Rec Plex will include two NHL‐sized ice rinks, a championship swimming pool, a recreational swimming pool, a half‐court basketball court, a fitness facility, a walking track and office space. Upon completion, this facility will be open to the public as well as home to the McKendree University’s hockey and aquatic teams and the Southern Illinois Ice Hawks youth hockey association.

“The McKendree community is thrilled to be a participant in this important community endeavor. Our students will benefit by having a world class facility on our extended campus. We salute Dean Oelze for his vision and commitment to forging a relationship and express appreciation to all who have made this exciting project possible,” said James M. Dennis, President of McKendree University.

Pat McLeod, President Emeritus, of the Southern Illinois Ice Hawks expanded “The So. IL Ice Hawks two and a half year effort to establish a new home rink culminates today. I cannot express the excitement the entire youth hockey community feels toward seeing our dream become reality. This milestone is the first step toward growing and re-energizing our amazing sport in our region. We appreciate the patience and loyalty of our Ice Hawks membership during this time.”

S.I. Strategy, LLC has contracted with Poettker Construction Company, to provide construction management services; Sink Combs Dethlefs, for architectural services; and Curl and Associates, for civil engineering services.

“Poettker Construction is blessed and very excited about the opportunity to work on such an important project for the community,” said Keith C. Poettker, Vice President Preconstruction, Poettker Construction. “It is our objective to deliver this facility as expeditiously as possible so that the McKendree Metro Rec Plex can begin fulfilling its mission of delivering collegiate and youth hockey to the metro east and provide a state of the art venue for competitive swimming and diving in our region while providing the public a fantastic facility to invest in their health.”

Lindsey Peckinpaugh, with Sink Combs Dethlefs, stated “Sink Combs Dethlefs is so honored to be part of this exciting project. The development and design team has worked very hard to ensure the building is as flexible as possible and will have the capacity to host numerous user groups and events concurrently. We are very proud of the efficiency of this design and are confident the building will serve the community well for generations to come.”

S.I. Strategy, LLC is anticipating construction of this facility will take approximately one year and expects the facility to be open fall of 2016. Memberships will be available to the public beginning in 2016. For construction progress updates and membership information, please visit the McKendree Metro Rec Plex website at www.metrorecplex.com.

 

###