TEXAS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A popular ice rink facility in the Kalamazoo neighborhood will reopen this summer under a new name, said the building's owner.
The former Wings West property will be known as BIGGBY COFFEE Ice Cube - Kalamazoo when it opens in June. The ice facility closed in September, 2025 after the refrigeration system failed. Then-owner Stadium Management Corporation said it wasn't economically feasible to repair or replace the equipment that keeps the ice frozen.
Stadium Management later sold the property to Black Bear Sports Group, which promised to update and reopen the rinks in 2026.
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Now with a date narrowed to June, Black Bear announced the first programs that will be offered at the Ice Cube. Two beginner hockey classes, one for kids and another for adults, are set to kick off in the opening month. Registration for the programs will open in June, said Black Bear's Regional Director of Operations Scott Branovan.
“This facility has meant a lot to Kalamazoo over the years, and bringing it back the right way means giving people more reasons to use it and enjoy it,” said Branovan. “The goal is for it to feel busy, welcoming, and full of life again, with something happening across the calendar for the families and athletes it serves.”
Other planned programs include youth and adult hockey leagues, learn-to-skate classes, open skating, and other activities that need ice to be enjoyed.
A recent study by Discover Kalamazoo found the metro Kalamazoo area could fall short of the number of ice rinks needed to serve the community's current demand for ice time. The report identified two ways to raise the number of rinks: build an entirely new facility at an estimated cost of $53 million; or renovate the old Wings West building, which officials believe will cost $10 million.
Black Bear Sports Group has not revealed how much money its invested already in the rehabilitation, nor how much it plans to spend on facility upgrades.
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Along with the new ice programs, the Ice Cube will be home to a restaurant. CD Top Shelf, which has locations in Brighton and Chelsea, will expand to the Kalamazoo area when the Ice Cube opens.
An exact date for the grand reopening has not been announced.
