MUSKEGON, MI - The LC Walker Arena will undergo several improvement projects starting soon, all aimed at heightening the experience for the fans.

Updates include new high-top, table and accessible seating, new paint, ceiling repairs and the removal of old and unused heating and cooling equipment. Those projects are planned to start within the next few weeks, said Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson.

Other updates include the creation of a beer garden, new rink glass, upgraded restrooms, reconfigured seating and an improved concessions concourse. Those improvements have not been approved as of yet, but may be added later if the city can work with the Downtown Development Authority to help foot the bill.

City-funded updates are scheduled to start within the next few weeks, and will cost an estimated $230,000, according to city planning documents.

The Muskegon City Commission approved the expense on Tuesday during the body's regular meeting. At least $20,000 of that money will come from the city's Americans With Disabilities Act compliance fund.

The remaining portion will be paid for with money from the city's Public Improvement fund.

The improvements are considered a step forward for Muskegon as it tries to update the aging arena, Peterson said. They'll also help the city and county integrate LC Walker Arena into the downtown landscape -- especially as plans firm up around a $15-million convention center next to the home of the Muskegon Lumberjacks hockey team.

Peterson said painting work had began before the expenditure was approved Tuesday, giving the city a jump start. Seating updates and HVAC removal will take place in the next few weeks, Peterson added.

The heavier improvement projects have not been approved, and many of them will require funding assistance from the DDA. Peterson said he was planning to meet with the DDA board on Thursday in the LC Walker Arena to show them what could be done with their support.

If the DDA agrees to help, the city will begin drafting architectural plans for the larger projects. DDA-funded work would likely begin in June once graduation season is over, Peterson added.

All in all, Peterson hopes the entire upgrade project will be complete by September ahead of the Lumberjacks' regular season opener.

The LC Walker Arena was built in 1960 in honor of Louis Carlisle Walker, the founder of the Muskegon-based Shaw-Walker furniture company.

A report provided to commissioners from 2017 highlights several improvements that could heighten the experience for hockey fans and concert goers. The list features:

New retail locations with storefront glass.

A restaurant location with storefront glass - not dissimilar to the new Rad Dad's location.

A beer garden.

Relocated and renovated concessions areas with additional seating/standing areas and exterior points of sale.

Additional and upgraded ADA accessible rink and lodge seating.

Renovated suite seating.

Additional and upgraded lobby/entry locations.

Relocated and renovated restrooms.

Relocated ticket locations.

A new team merchandise counter.

New "front row" and high-top table seating.

New arena storage for events.

Some improvements, like new standing areas and upgraded, yet "blue-collar" suite seating, were completed within the last year, Peterson said.

The city manager added that he's most excited about the new glass, which could soon feature 8-foot panels to optimize the view.

"The glass that's there now has been used for 20-plus years, and it's gotten dirty and foggy over the years," Peterson said. "In reality, it should have been replaced after eight or nine years of use."

The 2017 report also features several design concepts showing what the improvements might look like once the project is complete. Peterson said the city is most interested in the third option.