HUNTSVILLE — The Rocket City’s love affair with ice skating is more than 60 years old.

From the old Ice Palace on Governors Drive to the Benton Wilcoxsen Ice Complex – the renamed Huntsville Ice Sports Center, the activity has grown by leaps and bounds.

And, now, that growth has warranted expansion of the facility on Leeman Ferry Road.

The center will hold a groundbreaking next month for an arena and curling rink with a targeted completion of October 2026. Officials said schedules will not be interrupted during construction.

The additions will flank the current center.

A new arena with a sheet of ice for hockey and skating competitions will seat 1,600 fans. It will complement the current building and its two ice surfaces.

The buildings will have separate entrances but will also be connected by an interior concourse and expanded lobby.

The expansion includes new locker rooms – including one “tucked away” for referees – and an outdoor beer garden.

To meet an explosion in curling, a facility with five curling surfaces, spectator seating and a bar will adjoin the original building. There will be a separate entrance for the curling facility but the expanded lobby will also connect the facilities.

For information and updates, visit www.icesportscenter.com.