Seattle PLA puts Local 7 members to work on new NHL arena

Members of HFIAW Local 7 helped bring top-level professional hockey back to Seattle after nearly a century absence. 

From 1915 through 1924, the Seattle Metropolitans of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association entertained hockey fans in the Pacific Northwest. 

In 1917, before there was a National Hockey League (NHL), Seattle became the first U.S. team to win the Stanley Cup, beating the Montreal Canadiens, who were affiliated with the National Hockey Association. Sadly, the team was disbanded following the 1924 campaign, when their home rink, the Seattle Ice Arena, was converted into a parking garage. Between 1928 and 1977, six low-tier or amateur teams called Seattle home, but none lasted more than eight years.

In 2018, the NHL announced it would allow two new expansion teams to join the league – the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken. This past October, after almost a century, the highest level of professional hockey returned to Seattle.

For members of Local 7 and their fellow Brothers and Sisters from Seattle area Building Trades Locals and District Councils, the announcement meant the opportunity to build the Kraken’s home – Climate Pledge Arena.

The new, state-of-the-art facility cost over $1.15 billion, including side projects worth $80 million to build a community Ice plex in North Seattle and a future facility in Palm Springs, Calif. for their AHL farm team. 

Seattle Building Trades Executive Secretary and current Local 7 President Monty Anderson negotiated a Project Labor Agreement for the project to ensure only highly skilled and highly trained union construction workers would build the new facilities. 

Constructed through a partnership with Amazon, Climate Pledge Arena has an overarching goal of sustainability. By 2024, the facility aims to reduce carbon emissions and be the first arena in the world to provide renewable energy and have a carbon zero footprint.

Built with solar panels on the atrium and garage, long-term plans include the elimination of single-use plastics, water conservation strategies and a zero-waste goal. This will be accomplished by composting, recycling and a simplified supply chain process to reduce waste. Local 7 had three contractors performing Mechanical Insulation and Firestopping work at the arena. Signatory contractors Performance Contracting Inc. (PCI) Insulation and Specialty Services Division (ISSD), Auburn Mechanical System and KFox Insulation all employed the Local 7 workforce for this project.

Local 7, Seattle - Climate Pledge Arena

Performance Contracting Inc. (PCI) Insulation and Specialty Services Division (ISSD) had approximately 24,000 hours for insulation and 2,700 hours for firestop on the project. PCI ISSD Management was made up of Superintendent Jason Jackson, Estimator/ Project Manager Kevin Flanigan, Project Engineer Grant Thomas and Firestop Estimator Jimmy Tran.

The on-site Local 7 Mechanical Insulation PCI ISSD team included Mechanical Insulation Foreman Greg Shurts, Mechanics Adam Baker, Albert Blanchette, Olivia Bryant, Patrick Cassidy, James Carlson, Spencer Carlson, Hector Chavez, William “Justin” Cimorelli, Aaron Drake, Riley Israelsson, Dean Jones, Kasey Kilwine, Whitney Niesen, Juan Penado, Jennifer Pifer, Edward “Ted” Pittis, Clellan Redford, Travis Turner, Beverly Vidovic and Kyle “Jessie” Walker. The following apprentices also worked on the project: Noah Bos, Marco Castillo, Donte Davis, Jared Johnson, Tyler Landau, Ernesto Ortiz, Derrick Pierce, Darrell Sillers, Joe Stephan, Mike White and Pedro Zamudio.

The project’s PCI ISSD Firestop team included journeyman Kevin Greene, Andrew Norman, Oudom Tep and Duke Wilson and Firestop Apprentice Kevin Kmieciak.

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Auburn Mechanical System worked on the brine chiller piping for the ice rink. The urethane pipes were colored with .030 PVC jacket work for the rink’s Ice Builders system.

The Auburn Mechanical System team was made up of Estimator/Project Manager Jerome LaMear, Superintendent Mike Nettekoven, Mechanics Larry Nettekoven and Jeff McClurg and Apprentice Jennifer Ellsworth-Boesl.

KFox Insulation worked about 1,800 hours on the Kraken Community Iceplex, which houses three ice rinks one for the Kraken to practice and two for community use, along with the Kraken’s front offices. The work encompassed all the Mechanical Insulation, Firestop and acoustical caulking.

Leading the project for KFox Insulation was Project Manager Kevin Johnson, Estimator Sky Norris, Estimator and Firestop Project Manager Scott Siebold and owner Kyle Fox. Working on the project was Foreman Andrew Christopherson, Mechanics Jose Cisneros, Isaac Cruz, Isaac Daniels, George Harris, PJ Heckinger, Aaron Kauffman, Andy Knox, Brian Krona, Brian Nobis, Antonio Ortega, Kevin Rife, Jon Watts and Firestop Mechanics Brynnon Mathison and Nick Salvatierra. Apprentices included Buntoeun Am, Noah Bos, Alex Bremmeyer, Joel Chavez, Juan Cisneros, Dan Forcino, Aaron Melvard, Tyler Melvard, Miles Powell, Jose Sanchez Garibay and Firestop Apprentice Ross Dorge. 

The group picture printed in the Winter edition of The Insulators Journal and can be seen below was taken by Local 7 Business Agent Greg Bowers of the following members in front of the completed arena (left to right): Mechanic Juan Penado, Local 7 President and Seattle Building Trades Executive Secretary Monty Anderson, Mechanic Spencer Carlson, apprentice Noah Bos, Superintendent of PCI/ISSD Jason Jackson, Mechanic Kasey Kilwine, Mechanic Whitney Niesen, Mechanic Adam Baker, Business Manager Todd Mitchell, Mechanic Clellan Redford, apprentice Tyler Landau, apprentice Derrick Pierce, Mechanic William “Justin” Cimorelli, Insulation Foreman Greg Shurts, Training Coordinator Brian Kinsman, Firestop Foreman Duke Wilson and Firestop apprentice Kevin Kmieciak.

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