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Greg Fowler, the university’s vice-president of finance and resources, said the project would replace the 87-year-old Rutherford Rink and provide another sheet of ice for community use.

“I don’t know how much more Rutherford has to last,” Fowler said on Thursday. “We’re really looking at this as soon as possible.”

He declined to speculate on the price tag, but the cost of other twin-pad facilities suggests it could be at least $20 million.

The arena would be built on a two-acre plot of land next to the field house on U of S endowment lands, on what’s known as the College Quarter, bordered by College Drive, Preston Avenue, 14th Street and Cumberland Avenue.

The location represents a change from the 2010 College Quarter master plan, which envisioned the arena north of the field house along College Drive.

Fowler said the facility would include one rink to be used mainly by the university men’s and women’s Huskies hockey teams and another for rent by community groups.

“There isn’t a rink on every corner,” Fowler said. “And there hasn’t been a new (public) one built for 30 years.”

The Huskies arena would likely seat about 2,000, but could have seating for as many as 4,000, Fowler said. Rutherford seats about 700 comfortably and 1,066 at absolute capacity.

The university asked for proposals to build a new arena two years ago and is finalizing the design with a “preferred partner.” Any final decision needs to be approved by the U of S board of governors.