Blackstreet affiliate buys two suburban ice rinks

LINCOLNWOOD -- Piney Ice Holdings, an affiliate of Blackstreet Capital Holdings, and Ice Rink Holdings has acquired the American Heartland Arena in Lincolnwood, and Center Ice of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

Terms of the acquisition were not announced.

Each facility houses two sheets of ice and serves youth hockey and other ice sports participants in the metropolitan Chicago area.

American Heartland Arena is a year-round indoor two-sheet ice arena with a high-performance training gym that is home to numerous youth hockey and figure skating clubs. Center Ice of DuPage is a year-round indoor two-sheet ice arena with a world-class figure skating academy.

The arenas are the fifth and sixth ice rinks purchased by Piney. Other ice rink holdings include Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, Piney Orchard Ice Arena in Odenton, Maryland, Ice World in Abingdon, Maryland, and Iceoplex at Southpointe in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

The Arenas will be managed by Ice Rink Performance Group, which also manages Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex in Rochester, NY, Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, IL, and Iceoplex at Southpointe in Canonsburg, PA. "We look forward to providing these great Chicagoland communities a diversified platform of ice sports and recreation programming as well as affordable family entertainment that promotes physical activity and healthy lifestyles," said Scott Branovan, President of IRPG.

Piney is a holding company that seeks investments in sports and entertainment facilities and youth sports events. Piney currently owns and operates six arenas across the United States with a total of 10 sheets of indoor ice and two indoor turf fields.

"We're very excited to now own and operate three arenas in the suburbs of Chicago," said Murry Gunty, president of Piney. "Chicago is passionate about ice hockey and figure skating and we're thrilled to be able to provide quality rinks and services to the community. Scott Branovan and his team currently manage Seven Bridges Ice Arena and we are excited for them to align Heartland and Center Ice to provide the area with first-class recreation facilities and quality customer service."