LECOM Harborcenter

{{short description|Mixed use hockey themed development in Buffalo, New York}}

{{redirect|HarborCenter|other uses|Harbor Center (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox building

| name = LECOM Harborcenter

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| image = HarborCenter Dec2015.JPG

| image_alt =

| caption =

| location = 100 Washington St, Buffalo, New York, United States

| coordinates = {{coord|42.87664|-78.876686|display=inline,title}}

| status = Complete

| start_date = March 1, 2013

| completion_date = October/November 2014 (Restaurants/rinks/training facility)
August 2015 (hotel)

| est_completion =

| topped_out_date = June 25, 2014

| opening = October 31, 2014 / November 6, 2014

| inauguration_date =

| renovation_date =

| established =

| building_type = Stadium, commercial, hotel

| architectural_style = Postmodern architecture

| architectural =

| roof = {{convert|240|ft|m|abbr=on}}

| top_floor =

| floor_count = 20{{cite web | url=http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=678270 | title=MARRIOTT, SHANER HOTELS EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH HARBORCENTER | publisher=nhl.com | date=17 July 2013 | access-date=24 August 2013}}

| elevator_count =

| room_count = Hotel: 205 rooms

| parking = 750 spaces

| cost = US$ 172.2 million (est)

| floor_area = {{convert|600,000|sqft|sqm|abbr=on}}

| architecture_firm = Populous

| structural_engineer =

| main_contractor = Mortenson Construction

| developer = Harborcenter Development, LLC

| owner = Terry Pegula

| management = Buffalo Sabres

| website = {{url|https://lecomharborcenter.com}}

| references =

}}

{{Infobox venue

| stadium_name = The Rinks at Harborcenter

| nickname =

| logo_image = The_Rinks_at_HarborCenter_logo.png

| image = LECOM Harborcenter Interior - Buffalo, NY.jpg

| location = 7th Floor

| broke_ground = March 1, 2013

| opened = October 31, 2014

| closed =

| demolished =

| owner = Terry Pegula

| operator = Buffalo Sabres

| surface = 200' x 85' (Rinks 1 and 2)

| construction_cost =

| architect =

| former_names =

| tenants = Canisius Golden Griffins (NCAA) 2014–present
Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL) 2014–present
Buffalo Beauts (NWHL) 2015–2019
Erie Kats (NJCAA) 2014–2018
Buffalo Sabres (practice facility)

| seating_capacity = 1,800 (Rink 1)
150 (Rink 2)

| publictransit = Buffalo Metro Rail (Canalside)

}}

LECOM Harborcenter is an American mixed-use development in Buffalo, New York, developed by Pegula Sports and Entertainment. The building occupies a full 1.7 acre city block formerly known as the Webster Block, directly across from and connected to the KeyBank Center and Canalside.{{cite web | url=http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130219/CITYANDREGION/130219121/1010 | title=HARBORCENTER gets city, state approvals | publisher=The Buffalo News | date=February 19, 2013 | access-date=February 28, 2013 | author=Terreri, Jill | archive-date=April 20, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420041652/http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130219/CITYANDREGION/130219121/1010 | url-status=dead }} The building is also near the southern terminus of the Canalside station.

The development features retail and restaurant space, a 205-room Buffalo Marriott Harborcenter Hotel, as well as two hockey rinks that are the home of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, the Canisius Golden Griffins of the NCAA, and the Erie Kats of the National Junior College Athletic Association. The rinks are also the Buffalo Sabres practice facility.

Construction

The beginning concept for the building, specifically the dual ice rinks and parking garage combo came after Buffalo Sabres chief development officer Cliff Benson led a group of team officials to Washington, D.C. to view the Washington Capitals practice facility, the Kettler Capitals Iceplex.{{Cite web |title=Webster Block City Picks Sabres for Development in Downtown Buffalo |url=http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/179714/1/Webster-Block-City-Picks-Sabres-for-Development-in-Downtown-Buffalo |website=www.wgrz.com}} The complex, which is built on top of a parking garage, has seating for 1,200, a training center, proshop, and is home to many area teams. This trip helped the group form their ideas. Originally just planned to be two hockey rinks on top of a parking garage, the hotel and restaurant concepts were later added to the plan by Terry Pegula's wife, Kim Pegula.{{Cite web |date=November 2014 |title=HARBOR CENTER-Ground Up |url=http://www.harborcenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/HARBORCENTER-GroundUp.pdf |website=www.harborcenter.com}}

Construction of the 20-story Harborcenter began in March 2013,{{cite news|last=Terreri|first=Jill|title=Streets to close around First Niagara Center|url=http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130311/CITYANDREGION/130319862|access-date=April 10, 2013|newspaper=Buffalo News|date=March 11, 2013|archive-date=April 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420062020/http://www.buffalonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130311/CITYANDREGION/130319862|url-status=dead}} the same month the Webster Block was purchased from the City of Buffalo for $2.2 million.{{cite web | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2013/03/08/sabres-deeded-site-of-170m-harbircenter.html | title=Sabres deeded site of $170M Harborcenter | publisher=Buffalo Business First | date=March 8, 2013 | access-date=March 8, 2013 | author=Fink, James}} The building was built by Mortenson Construction with ICON Venue Group serving as the project manager.{{cite web | url=http://iconvenue.com/portfolio/harborcenter-development | title=Hockey-Themed Mixed-Use Development | publisher=ICON Venue Group | access-date=February 28, 2013 | archive-date=October 29, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029185804/http://iconvenue.com/portfolio/harborcenter-development | url-status=dead }} The building's hockey rink portion topped out on June 25, 2014, as the last structural beam for the hotel was put into place. Building construction was completed on the whole building in August 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.mortenson.com/company/news-and-insights/2015/harborcenter-completion|title=Mortenson Celebrates Substantial Completion of the Buffalo Marriott HARBORCENTER Hotel - Sports - News - Mortenson|website=www.mortenson.com}} The rinks and restaurants opened on October 31 and November 6, 2014. The hotel opened on August 27, 2015.{{cite web|url=http://www.wgrz.com/story/news/local/buffalo/2014/10/13/buffalo-downtown-harborcenter-grand-opening/17230795/|title=HarborCenter Grand Opening set for November 6|work=WGRZ-TV|publisher=Gannett Company|access-date=October 14, 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20141014071156/http://www.wgrz.com/story/news/local/buffalo/2014/10/13/buffalo-downtown-harborcenter-grand-opening/17230795/|archive-date=October 14, 2014|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2015/08/21/harborcenter-marriott-ready-to-open-by-early.html|title=HarborCenter Marriott ready to open by early September|last=Fink|first=James|date=August 21, 2015|website=Buffalo Business First|publisher=American City Business Journals|access-date=2017-12-11}}

Operations

Harborcenter was financed by Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula and is owned by the Pegula's company Pegula Sports and Entertainment.{{cite web | url=http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2013/02/12/sabres-say-harborcenter-cost-rises-to.html?page=2 | title=Sabres say Harborcenter cost rises to $170M | publisher=Buffalo Business First | date=February 12, 2013 | access-date=February 28, 2013 | author=Fink, James}} The building contains indoor parking for 750 vehicles, and features two NHL regulation indoor ice rinks on the building's sixth floor, one with an 1,800-seat capacity and the other with a 150-seat capacity. IMPACT Sports Performance owned by the Pegulas operates Harborcenter's 5,000 square foot, high performance off-ice training facility located on the building's 6th floor. The building also contains a classroom and RapidShot Hockey Training System.

The development is one of the most expensive for any privately funded single building in the city of Buffalo history. The project is designed to achieve LEED certification, with a goal of LEED Silver. The building was pledged by Pegula and others involved upon obtaining the property to open at the time by September 2014 making it one of the faster projects in the area.

On September 10, 2019, Pegula Sports and Entertainment reached a 10-year naming rights agreement for the building with Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM).{{Cite web|url=https://buffalonews.com/2019/09/10/call-it-lecom-harborcenter-after-naming-rights-deal/|title=Call it LECOM Harborcenter, after naming rights deal|date=2019-09-10|website=The Buffalo News|language=en-us|access-date=2019-09-21}}

Commercial tenants

The building contains a 205-room Marriott hotel operated by Shaner Hotels, plus retail and restaurant space.{{cite web | url=http://buffalorising.com/2013/07/official-marriott-buffalo-harbor-center/ | title=Hotel Flag Chosen: Marriott Buffalo Harbor Center | publisher=Buffalo Rising | date=17 July 2013 | access-date=17 July 2013}} A two floor 716 Food and Sport restaurant opened on October 31, 2014. Also, Harborcenter features a flagship Tim Hortons that pays tribute to Tim Horton, the Buffalo Sabres, and the former Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.{{cite web|url=http://buffalorising.com/2014/10/tim-hortons-the-flagship-store-opens/|title=Tim Hortons – The Flagship Store Opens|date=October 30, 2014}} The restaurant opened on October 30, 2014. A Statue of Tim Horton was dedicated across the street the same day. The building also contains a pro shop.

The building also has storefronts along Main Street known as The Shops at HarborCanter for smaller street front tenants which are expected to be leased out. The first store that opened in Harborcenter was Red Siren, which is a women's specialty store. It features gifts, jewelry, leather and clothing not currently found in the Buffalo area. Red Siren opened in the Summer of 2015, around the time when the Mariott Harborcenter Hotel opened.{{cite web|url=http://www.wgrz.com/story/money/business/2015/03/18/womens-clothing-store-red-siren-to-open-in-harborcenter/24953879/|title=Retail store 'Red Siren' to open in HARBORCENTER|work=WGRZ-TV|publisher=Gannett Company}} Other stores include Modern Nostalgia, Fowler's Chocolates and Clayton's Toys & Gifts.{{cite web|url=http://sabres.wp.buffalonews.com/2015/05/19/sabres-identify-last-3-retailers-for-harborcenter-mini-mall/|title=Sabres identify last 3 retailers for Harborcenter mini-mall|first=Stephen T.|last=Watson|date=May 19, 2015}} {{Dead link|date=May 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} It was announced in July 2016 that Modern Nostalgia would be leaving Harborcenter. They were replaced by Healthy Scratch, a quick-serve restaurant and boutique operated by Kelly and Jessica Pegula.{{cite web|last=Fink|first=James|title=Pegula daughters to open Healthy Scratch in Harborcenter|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2016/08/11/pegula-twins-to-open-healthy-scratch-in.html|date=August 11, 2016|work=Buffalo Business First|publisher=American City Business Journals}} Clayton's, Fowler's and Red Siren all announced their departure from Harborcenter in September 2017, with employees citing slow sales and inconsistent traffic for their departure.{{cite web| url = https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2017/08/10/harborcenter-loses-three-retailers-after-two-years.html| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170810210329/https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2017/08/10/harborcenter-loses-three-retailers-after-two-years.html| archive-date = 2017-08-10| title = Three initial retail stores pulling out of HarborCenter - Buffalo - Buffalo Business First}}{{cite web|url=http://buffalonews.com/2017/08/10/shops-harborcenter-will-close/|title=Three stores in Shops at Harborcenter will close|date=August 10, 2017|website=The Buffalo News|access-date=December 11, 2017}}

In May 2015, it was announced that Advanced Care Physical Therapy would lease space inside Impact Sports Performance, located inside the Harborcenter. This provides a complete range of sports medicine services to athletes and employees who use the facility.{{cite web|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2015/05/02/advanced-care-pt-expands-with-new-site-at.html |title=Advanced Care PT expands with new site at Harborcenter |work=Buffalo Business First |publisher=American City Business Journals |date=2015-05-02 |access-date=2017-08-06}}

Hockey tenants

The development's two ice rinks, known collectively as The Rinks, is the home of the Canisius Golden Griffins, an NCAA Division I college hockey program in Buffalo, as well as the Buffalo Jr. Sabres{{cite web|title=Sabres Set To Acquire Land And Minor Hockey Program|url=http://thejuniorhockeynews.com/?p=11687|work=Junior Hockey News| date=March 8, 2013 |access-date=April 10, 2013}}[https://www.espn.com/espnw/news-commentary/story/_/id/12662700/big-plans-big-questions-new-women-pro-hockey-league?ex_cid=espnfb Big plans, big questions for new women's pro hockey league]. ESPN. Retrieved April 12, 2015. with the Griffins and Junior Sabres playing in the larger rink 1 known as KeyBank Rink at Harborcenter with separate dedicated dressing rooms. Rink 1 is also home to the Erie Community College Kats's of the NJCAA. The smaller rink 2 is known as New Wave Energy Rink under a separate naming rights deal.

The Rinks are also the home to the Academy of Hockey and the Harborcenter Cup as well as serving as the Buffalo Sabres' practice facility. The rinks were opened on October 31, 2014 with the first of back to back games between Canisius and Ohio State which resulted in a 3–3 tie, and games involving the Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16U and 18U teams.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}

Annually, in November, the Buffalo Sabres Thunder, a special needs hockey team, hosts a tournament known as the Coach Michael Steffan Invitational Tournament (formerly named Buffalo Fall Festival) at The Rinks. {{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

In 2015, the NHL Scouting Combine was moved from Toronto to Harborcenter under a two-year pact. Buffalo also hosted the NHL Entry Draft in 2016. The NHL subsequently announced that it would continue to hold the combine in Buffalo through at least 2019.{{cite web|url=http://buffalonews.com/2014/08/18/combine-hit-harborcenter-2015-16/|title=NHL Scouting Combine to hit Harborcenter in 2015 and '16|first=Mike|last=Harrington|date=August 18, 2014|work=Buffalo News}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-scouting-combine-to-remain-in-buffalo-new-york/c-289064804|title=NHL Scouting Combine to remain in Buffalo|website=NHL.com}} The 2015 IPC Ice Sledge Hockey World Championships were held at Harborcenter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wnypapers.com/news/article/current/2014/05/28/116297/buffalo-to-host-two-world-championships-in-2015|title=Buffalo to host two world championships in 2015|publisher=Niagara Frontier Publications|access-date=2017-12-11}}

In January 2016, the venue hosted the inaugural National Women's Hockey League all-star game.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/article/nwhl-season-to-begin-oct-11-all-star-game-set-for-jan-24|title=NWHL season to begin Oct. 11, All-Star Game set for Jan. 24|last=Clinton|first=Jared|work=The Hockey News|access-date=2017-12-11|language=en-CA}} In 2016, the CHA conference tournament in women's college hockey began to be hosted at Harborcenter.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/blog/morning_roundup/2016/01/college-hockey-america-womens-championship-booked.html|title=College Hockey America women's championship booked for Harborcenter|website=Buffalo Business First|access-date=2017-12-11}}

From June 22 to July 3, 2017, rink 1 hosted a charity event known as 11 Day Power Play, which set a world record for the longest continuous hockey game.{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/19797080/buffalo-hockey-marathoners-break-record-11th-day|title=Hockey marathoners break record on 11th day|date=July 3, 2017|agency=Associated Press|access-date=December 11, 2017}} It has since become an annual event at Harborcenter.

The 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships were co-hosted by the KeyBank Rink and KeyBank Center.{{Cite web|url=http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=791054|title=USA HOCKEY SELECTS BUFFALO SABRES AS HOST OF 2018 IIHF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP|website=NHL.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-11}}

In September 2018, it was announced that the Atlantic Hockey Tournament, an NCAA Division I Men's ice hockey league tournament would be moving to Harborcenter from Rochester's Blue Cross Arena starting in 2019.

The NHL Rookie Tournament is also hosted at HarborCenter.

The 2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships are slated to be held at Harborcenter in May 2025. {{Cite web|url=https://teamusa.usahockey.com/2025sledworlds|title=2025 World Para Ice Hockey Championships|website=usahockey.com|language=en-US|access-date=2025-02-09}}