Located at 3605 Philips Highway, Community First Igloo—home of the Jacksonville Icemen, is in the middle of a major renovation. When it’s finished, the venue will include two NHL regulation-size rinks, a bar and restaurant seating more than two hundred people, Haymaker Coffee Concession Stand, a 2,000 square-foot Esports arena, a 2,000+ square-foot Pro Shop & Team Store, and the Jacksonville Sports Hall of Fame.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” CEO Andy Kaufmann told What Now on Thursday. The 200+ seat bar and restaurant has just hired its head chef, Kaufmann said, and its full menu will include dishes like Zamboni & Cheese and a signature Icemen Burger. It will also feature a 22-foot video board, allowing for state-of-the-art Esports watch parties.
Community First Igloo is situated between Philips Highway and I-95, near Excel Church, Wells Fargo Corporation Offices, and The Players Center for Child Health. Nearby are eateries like Royal Palms Cafe and Catering and, by Emerson Street, a McDonald’s.
“Once completed,” says the Community First Igloo website tells us, “the 100,000+ square-foot facility will provide Northeast Florida with one of the largest and state of the art facilities in the State of Florida and Southeastern US.”
Community First Igloo will also serve as the Jacksonville Icemen’s official training center and will house all of the Icemen’s executive offices. The renovations are expected to give way to a series of soft openings, with a Grand Opening in early February.
