Irving Oil is contributing $3-million to the Saint John multiplex expansion project, a donation organizers say will move the more than $70-million development closer to construction.
Irving Oil announced the donation Monday at the Irving Oil Field House, where Irving Oil president and CEO Jeff Matthews said the company is continuing its support for a project it first backed when the Field House opened in 2019.
“Today, representing all of Irving Oil, representing the Irving Oil family, I’m pleased to announce that we’ve agreed to donate $3-million to the next phase of this development,” Matthews said.
The contribution follows a previous $2-million donation from Irving Oil that secured naming rights for the Field House when it opened.
As part of the new agreement, Irving Oil will receive naming rights for the multiplex component of the facility.
Matthews also announced that the project’s two NHL-sized ice surfaces will be named after Arthur Irving and K.C. Irving.
“We’re further happy to announce that we’ve decided to honour the legacies of Mr. Irving and his father, K.C. Irving, in naming the two ice surfaces,” Matthews said.
The multiplex project will be built adjacent to the Irving Oil Field House and connected to the existing facility.
The addition will include two ice surfaces, a public library branch, child-care space, multipurpose community areas and other recreation amenities.
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Bill MacMackin said the latest contribution builds on a longstanding partnership between the project and Irving Oil.
“We always felt it was a great fit with Irving Oil. We have a wonderful working relationship through the development of the field house and the operations of it, and this just expands that significantly more,” MacMackin said.
MacMackin said the project has now secured about $51 million toward its overall funding goal, including Irving Oil’s latest contribution.
“We’re at about 51 million of the 70-ish that we need to have,” he said.
According to MacMackin, organizers have raised roughly 75 per cent of the funding required for the project and are continuing discussions with the provincial government and other potential funding partners.
He added that the organization hopes to complete final design work over the next year and begin construction around this time next year.
Matthews said the donation reflects Irving Oil’s long-standing commitment to Saint John and the surrounding region.
“We cannot have a strong business if we don’t have a strong community,” he said.
If funding plans remain on track, organizers hope the expanded facility will open in 2029.
