Construction Beginning On Memorial Arena

Construction on the new Chatham Maroons dressing room, a project worth $400,000 is slated to begin and finish before Christmas this year.

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is kicking in half the bill, and Maroons’ owners Bill Szekesy and Karen Szekesy are footing the other $200,000 of the project which will culminate with a new 1,870 square foot facility added to the more than half century old Memorial Arena.

The facility will include a new dressing room, offices, coaches room, trainer’s room, laundry facilities, and a workout area for the Maroons.

The state-of-the-art facilities will rival most OHL and semi-professional team areas.

The deal also includes a five year lease, which can be terminated by either party. This agreement likely signifies a new arena for Chatham-Kent is at least a half decade away.

The Szekesy family have owned the Chatham Maroons since 2010. Last season the Maroons finished first in the GOJHL’s Western Conference, before being ousted by London in the Conference final. The previous two seasons, Chatham missed the playoffs in 2011-2012, and finished eighth in the Conference in 2010-2011.