Maine Mariners announce plans for practice facility in Scarborough

The Maine Mariners have submitted plans to build a practice facility in Scarborough’s Innovation District at The Downs, the team announced Friday. The proposed 58,000 square-foot ice arena could serve as the Mariners’ practice facililty and offer expanded access to ice time for schools, municipalities and local hockey organizations, the teams said in a statement. “Our goal is to bring a Kelly Cup to Maine, and we intend to build a facility that will foster growth and develop a winning culture,” said Mariners owner and governor Dexter Paine in the statement. “Additionally, we see significant value in providing access to ice for the benefit of hockey organizations across the state.” The team said the proposal is currently under review by the Scarborough Planning Board, and the goals is for the facility to be in operation by the 2027 hockey season. “We are very excited about the idea of this project,” Mariners CEO Adam Goldberg said in the statement. “There is a long road of approvals ahead and we are hopeful to turn this concept into a reality throughout the entitlement process. We are optimistic and look forward to working with the Town of Scarborough to see this through.” In September, the Mariners announced a three-year extension on their affiliate agreement with the Boston Bruins, as well as a five-year lease extension to continue playing their home games at Cross Insurance Arena.