Columbia Arena

The Columbia Arena was an indoor arena located in Fridley, Minnesota. The arena opened in 1968 with seating for 4,000. The arena was the first ever indoor arena to open in Anoka County, Minnesota. A second sheet was added in the fall of 1975 with seating for 1,000. The arena has been home to the Fridley, Spring Lake Park, Irondale, Totino-Grace, Brooklyn Center, Columbia Heights youth and high school programs, and Bethel College/University of Minnesota Intra-Squad Collegiate teams. The arena was owned and operated by the Anoka County Board of Commissioners from 1968 until it was sold to the Minnesota Youth Sports Association in 2006. The facility would have needed over $2 million in renovations to bring the building up to code and update the ice refrigeration system. The opening of the Schwan Super Rink in nearby Blaine rendered the facility obsolete as the Bethel College teams moved to the new facility. In fact the MYSA opted to help add more sheets of ice to the Blaine facility.
The building sat vacant from 2007 until it was demolished on September 23, 2015. Several plans for the land were proposed including a shopping center, condos, medical facilities, and senior housing; but not came to fruition and the building was torn down as an eyesore.
The arena was used as the primary filming location for the movie D3:The Mighty Ducks.
Category:NCAA Rinks
Category:Indoor ice hockey venues in Minnesota