BOSTON – The Boston Bruins have been searching for a new practice facility and now there’s a possibility the organization could build a rink on the site of the old Boston Garden, according to Bruins principal Charlie Jacobs.
The Bruins have been practicing at Ristuccia Memorial Arena in Wilmington, Mass., for more than a decade. The site of the old Garden is currently a parking lot adjacent to TD Garden.
“My hope would be we would have a premiere, world-class training facility,” Jacobs said. “Not to say we don’t have one at Ristuccia, but we think we can do better, a little bit of an upgrade. If it works out with our partners at Boston Properties, and we’ll still penciling the numbers, there is a good chance that we would have one right next door, in addition to some retail and restaurants. It’s actually a really good concept we’re rolling out to fill in the North End.”
Jacobs admitted there are still ongoing discussions with other properties, but having a practice facility connected to TD Garden is the organization’s first choice.
The Bruins have researched other practice facilities around the league, and the idea on the table here in Boston, Jacobs says, complements some of the ideas the organization has for the real estate on Causeway.
Along with retail, restaurants and bars, Jacobs said, there’s a possibility of adding a 4,000- or 5,000-seat theatre.
There is no timetable to break ground, but the Bruins have submitted a master plan to the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Jacobs’ expectation is that those plans will be reviewed in November with the possibility of receiving a preliminary permit for the work.
