Chicago Blackhawks Win Key Planning Approval To Expand Fifth Third Arena

The Chicago Blackhawks are a step closer to constructing a two-story addition to Fifth Third Arena, the team’s training facility, after the Chicago Plan Commission approved the project Thursday as part of a $65M expansion plan at the site.

The Blackhawks plan to add about 135K SF and a lot with 219 parking spaces at 303 South Damen Ave., per documents submitted to the city committee. The team expects to complete the construction by the first quarter of 2026. 

The arena would expand into the former site of Malcolm X College, which the team bought from Rush University Medical Center for $23.5M in April, Block Club Chicago reported. 

The project would produce an estimated 260 construction jobs, and the team has committed to community hiring, per city documents. The plan still needs city council approval, with a vote likely to come next month.

In its planning presentation, the team said the project furthers “the ongoing reimagination of hockey” at its arena. The expansion allows room for four ice rinks and several guest amenities. Programming in the space will target residents on the West Side.

“We believe sports programming can change lives,” Sara Guderyahn, Blackhawks vice president of social impact and outreach, said at a neighborhood meeting in late May reported on by Block Club. “This rink is the heart of the Blackhawks org, but it’s more than that. It’s how we think of the benefits of sportsmanship and how we create a safe space for our West Side neighbors.”

Some of the programming will include Healthy Hawks, which teaches children about nutrition, and First Stride Skates, which allows community partners and schools access to the ice rinks with free equipment rentals. 

"The Blackhawks' expansion of the Fifth Third Arena practice facility will make the surrounding neighborhood safer and create more job opportunities for residents,” 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett said in an April statement.