... "I had been out here to visit probably three or three and a half years ago now, whenever the arena was just in the planning stages at that point, and from meeting the mayor, city administrator, and folks associated with the local business community here, I was really impressed with the vision they had,” (Team President Brian) McKenna told FloHockey.
“And also, just the fact that everybody was pulling in the same direction. It left me with a really good feeling, a good vibe about the whole community here. The arena itself sits on about a 200-acre redevelopment called Iowa River Landing, which is surrounded by shopping, restaurants, condos and apartments. It’s basically its own little village or town, and it’s just a neat vibe. And also, Dean MacDonald, who I got to know when they were coming into the league with the St. John’s franchise, and his partner Glenn Stanford, who I’ve known for years, I’ve got a real good comfort level with those guys. They called, asked if I’d be interested in the opportunity, and I decided to jump back in.” ...