The 80,000-square-foot facility is a public-private partnership between the city and the Seattle Kraken, at the site of the former Houghton Place Park and Ride.

Kirkland had bought the property from the state with plans to build an aquatic and recreation center. But the proposed levy measure to fund it failed spectacularly, said City Manager Kurt Triplett.

“A lot of our community said, ‘Find a way to create recreational opportunities without general taxation,’” Triplett said. “Seek out partners and also create a sense of community.”

That’s when Seattle Kraken approached the city with an idea — what about putting an iceplex instead, similar to the NHL team’s practice facility in Northgate?

“We’re just busting at the seams,” said Krista Leesment, VP of business operations at the Kraken Community Iceplex.

Leesment estimated the Seattle area has about 13 ice rinks, not enough to meet the growing demand as more children and adults participate in ice sports.

When the Northgate facility opened five years ago it had six youth teams, Leesment said. Today it has 42.