Evening star., 1939-02-14
Coliseum for Boxing,
Hockey, Basket Ball
Planned by kass
Chevy Chose Rink Head
Apt to Select Silver
Spring for Site
BY BURTON HAWKINS.

spring for Site
BY BURTON HAWKINS.
Local sportdom's yawning cavity,
lack Of . spacious arena, viii be
Allied shortly with gigantic indoor
coliseum, it was learned today. The
arena, to be constructed by Garfield
Kass, owner of the Chevy Chase Ice
Palace, definitely will be finished by
September. with It's site probably
at Silver Spring. Md.
James Hogan, manager of the
Chevy Chase plant, admitted plans
for the arena have been made, but
refused to divulge particulars pend
ing the return of Kass from Florida,
where he is vacationing. The OH
cial announcement is expected
within two weeks.
Two sets of plans have been
drawn up, one calling for the erec-
ton of plant to seat 10000 specta-
tors for ice hockey, boxing, wrestling
and basket ball, and the other pro-
viding for 10000 customers. Kass
will determine which will be followed
upon his return to Washington.
Encouraged by the huge success
of his Chevy Chase venture, Kass
has been planning the new arena
for weeks. Upon completion of the
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rink will be used solely for public
skating, with ice carnivals, COL
legiate, amateur and professional
ice hockey matches to be staged 1t
Silver Spring.
Hockey Program Planned.
Washington ice hockey followers
twice have crammed the Chevy
Chase Ice Palace to capacity to wit
ness amateur teams in action and,
If present plans materiahze, next
season they viii be focusing their
optics on the professional brand.
Kass is understood to have ap-
piled for a franchise in the Eastern
Division of the Observation-Disclosures
ican League, which currently is
comprised Of Philadelphia, New
Haven, Providence and Springfield,
with Cleveland, Hershey, Syracuse
and Pittsburgh In the Western Di-
vision.
Formation of a collegiate ice
hockey conference here also has
been broached to officials of local
schools and Georgetown, Maryland,
George Washington and Catholic
University lean favorably toward
the idea. The Georgetown Hockey
Club, which performed in Washing
tons first Ice hockey match two
weeks ago, is composed Of Hilltop
students.
Max harrington. George WASH
ington director of athletics, said the
Colonials probably could not enter
q team in formal competition next
season. but that G. w. definitely is
interested in the idea and that the
downtown institution doubtless could
sponsor . club patterned along the
idea Of this years GeorYetoWn out
fit until the boys gAined enough ex-
perience to compete with teams Of
high caliber with Official recosni-
ton.
Big Plans fer Basket Ban.
The arena will open new avenue
of appeal for local sports. Bill Rein
hart, George Washington football
and basket ball coach, long has cher
ished an idea Of booking double
header basket ball games with
Georgetown straight through the
season and has termed the lack Of
suitable arena the only barrier to
fulfilling that plan.
Reinhart is certain teams lured to
New York's Madison Square Garden
for double-headers with Gotham
quints could be enticed here on the
same trip, thus making it possible
for local and nearby court fans to
see such teams as Southern Cali
fornia, Oregon. Stanford, Purdue,
etc. Both George Washington and
Georgetown now employ Tech High
gym as their home floor.
There is possibility the Heurich
Brewers, Washington's entry in the
American Professional Basket Ball
League, would transfer their activi-
ties to Silver Spring, since the Heu-
rich gym can handle crowd Of
only 1000. This year, their first in
the league, the Brewers have found
that arrangement suitable, since
they have lost steadily and thus at
tracted only small attendance in
most instances.
Apt to Boom Boxing.
Boxing here is a gilt-edged Ger
tainty to improve. Turner'S Arena,
with its seating capacity Of only
1900, hardly is conducive to i'm
porting outstanding fighters unless
in exhibition roles. The new plant
doubtless will halt the procession
of palookas and virtually will assure
ring followers of top-notch shows
around the calendar.
While the arena naturally win
dwarf the Chevy Chase Ice Palace.
Kass is convinced Washington is
sports minded enough to support
both places. Sixteen bowling alleys
are being added to the Chevy
Chase center. and spacious table
tennis quarters were opened there
last night in evidence of that con-
viction.
Lack Of sizable arena has hand
cuffed local sports for years, but
Kass' Silver Spring building finally
should boost Washington into major
league circles along all lines.
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