The renovations will likely be completed by the end of August, Whitmore said.
The money will come from the College's capital reserve budget, which is set aside for major building refurbishment projects, Chief of Staff David Spalding '76 said. The Board of Trustees approved the renovations in June 2010.
The decision was made in an effort to increase the lifespan of the 35-year-old building, to take advantage of new technologies and to make the building more green, Whitmore said. There are many similar refurbishing projects now taking place on campus, according to Spalding.
The refrigerant currently used in the ice rink will not be produced in three to four years, Spalding said. The renovations will improve the mechanics of the refrigeration system that cools the concrete slab where the ice is formed, according to Whitmore.
"Given those factors the age of the equipment, the risk of failure and the fact that the refrigerant was going to go out of operation we really needed to carry out this project to maintain the use of one of the best college ice hockey arenas in the northeast," Spalding said.
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems will be updated as part of the construction, according to Whitmore. Following the renovations, the staff will be able to better control the heat and the dew point of the facility, allowing them to uphold the quality of the ice while the air in the building is slightly warmer, Whitmore said.
"The goal is to have the heat set at 60 degrees, which will make sitting in the arena as a spectator more comfortable," he said.
The construction will also include an electrical upgrade in an effort to install more energy-conscious lighting, Whitmore said. Workers will use an infrared sensor to find weaknesses in the roof coating, then strip and replace the coating where it is needed, according to Whitmore.
To ensure player safety, the College will install new dasher boards and tempered glass, Whitmore said. The new technology will allow some give when players come in contact with the boards and glass, which will be an improvement over the current rigid boards and glass, according to Whitmore.
The new renovations will also have spectator benefits, as the new seamless glass will lack aluminum rods, which will improve the viewing experiences. The height of the glass around the sides of the rink will increase to protect viewers from stray pucks, according to Whitmore. Railings have already been installed in the seating aisles to increase fans' safety.
Dartmouth women's ice hockey head coach Mark Hudak said he is looking forward to all aspects of the renovations especially from the new boards and glass, which will improve the game.
"The boards and glass that we have in there are old and they can be unpredictable," Hudak said. "Also, from an aesthetic viewpoint, it will make the building look more modern."
Players on the women's hockey team said they look forward to the improvements in the facilities because the old glass and dasher boards often cause the puck to go in an unpredictable direction.
"We're one of two teams in the league that don't have seamless glass, and once you get used to playing with it, it's hard to play without it," Sally Komarek '13 said.
Hudak said that both the men's and women's teams will benefit from the renovations, especially the new temperature and climate controls that will be installed in the locker rooms.
"The environment down below can be very unpredictable," he said. "Some days it can be very warm in the locker room and that puts you to sleep. Other days, if it's not warm enough and your equipment doesn't dry enough, it's uncomfortable to put on wet equipment."
The renovations are also unnecessary due to health concerns regarding climate control, Hudak said.
"If you don't have the right air conditioning, there is the potential for mold to grow in the locker rooms, which is obviously a health issue," he said.
Evan Stephens '11, a member of the men's hockey team, said he never experienced mold in the locker rooms but sees the air conditioning improvements as a necessary change.
The College has been discussing the need for a renovated facility for "a long time," Hudak said. The renovations became possible when the available funds were allocated, according to Hudak.
"We just finally have the chance to do it," Hudak said. "It could potentially benefit the College, but it's not like we're putting a lot of new bells and whistles in there. In that case, you get into scoreboards and seating and sound systems but those things are not on the docket right now."
Dartmouth's hockey facilities are not on the same level as those at other institutions, Hudak said.
"I think it's cyclic," he said. "When we make an upgrade to our football stadium we're ahead and some schools have done that with their hockey facilities."
The rink will not be open to players over the Summer term, but they will take advantage of other local rinks.
"These renovations are in our best interest and they have to happen sometime," Jessica Gagner '13 said.
