The Jay Lively Ice Arena is an essential recreational facility that serves the northern Arizona region. Burgess & Niple was selected by the City of Flagstaff to complete a series of mechanical infrastructure upgrades that addressed unique challenges of an ice arena operating in a high-elevation climate.
Chilled & Hot Water Pipe Rerouting
The initial scope focused on addressing long-standing issues with the facility’s below-grade chilled water supply and return piping. Thermal gradients in the system had caused structural concerns, including heaving and cracking in the surrounding concrete aprons and stem wall. B&N developed a solution to reroute approximately 1,700 linear feet of chilled water piping to an above-grade configuration — a complex redesign executed without compromising system efficiency or performance.
In addition to the chilled water system, the hot water supply and return piping was also relocated above grade. In total, four major piping systems were successfully rerouted, improving long-term serviceability and mitigating future structural risks.
Chiller Consolidation & Ice Production Optimization
Following the delivery of the rerouting phase, the City of Flagstaff expanded B&N’s role to include a major upgrade of the facility’s ice-making systems. This included consolidating the existing chillers into two high-efficiency, air-cooled chillers installed in the mechanical yard, with a combined nominal cooling capacity of 100 tons.
Key improvements included:
- Replacement of ethylene glycol with a safer propylene glycol system for ice floor circulation.
- Full integration with the existing subfloor heating heat exchanger system.
- Precise engineering to support the formation of up to 400,000 pounds of ice over a 16,600 square foot rink area.
- Custom temperature control capabilities allowing the rink to operate efficiently at both 26°F and 20°F, meeting the strict environmental demands of recreational and competitive ice use.
From critical piping rerouting to complex refrigeration system upgrades, the Jay Lively Ice Arena project serves as a model of responsive design, mechanical precision and successful municipal partnership.