Is A New Arena Being Planned For Schenectady’s Mohawk Harbor Waterfront?

The impressive transformation of Mohawk Harbor in Schenectady has an ambitious new phase in the works.

There are many superlatives you could use to describe the evolution of the Mohawk Harbor area of Schenectady. From Rivers Casino, to the beautiful apartments and townhomes, to the great shops and restaurants right on the waterfront, the Mohawk Harbor area has transformed over the last few years into an amazing place to live and into one of the Capital Region's top destinations for a night out.

Could the next phase of that transformation be a new destination for sporting events and entertainment?

One type of venue we are kind of missing here in the Capital Region is a mid-sized arena. We of course have the MVP Arena, but that is usually reserved for pretty large scale sporting events and concerts.

That could soon change with plans in the works for a new arena on Mohawk Harbor.

NY State Budget Earmarks $10m For Mohawk Harbor Arena

According to a Times Union story, the recently approved New York State budget has $10 million earmarked to help finance the construction of a new arena on the harbor. The primary purpose of the arena would be to serve as the new home and ice rink for the Union College Hockey team, but the planned 2,850 seat facility would also host "...events, conferences, and trade shows..." according to the Times Union. The new $40 million arena project is part of the next phase of development on the harbor and no exact timetable for construction has been set due to lingering supply chain and other issues.

Regardless of timing, it seems we can expect more big things at Mohawk Harbor in the future. And an arena of this size would be the perfect addition to the Capital Region venue mix. When I see events, I immediately think..."Hey, we could be getting another great concert venue!" I say the more the merrier!