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Chicago & Midwest  + West Side  + Hospitality  | 

Blackhawks Unveil Expansion Plans for Fifth Third Arena

NHL franchise the Chicago Blackhawks unveiled renderings for the forthcoming Fifth Third Arena expansion that will grow the venue at 1801 W. Jackson Blvd. to more than 250,000 square feet. The expanded facility will also eventually house the Chicago Steel, a United States Hockey League team currently housed at Fox Valley Arena in Geneva, IL and owned by Blackhawks owners the Wirtz Corporation since 2023.

Renovation at the arena on Chicago’s West Side, which opened in 2017, has been underway since 2024. “Through the Fifth Third Arena expansion, we are creating the epicenter of hockey in the Midwest,” said Danny Wirtz, chairman & CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks. “This venue is where NHL superstars train alongside rising talent, creating an environment where championship dreams can take flight.”

Completion of the expansion is slated for January 2026. The Chicago Blackhawks estimate that Fifth Third Arena will welcome more than a million and a half guests per year.

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About Paul Bubny

Paul Bubny serves as Senior Content Director for Connect Commercial Real Estate, a role to which he brings 16-plus years’ experience covering the commercial real estate industry and 30-plus years in business-to-business journalism. In this capacity, he oversees daily operations while also reporting on both local/regional markets and national trends, covering individual transactions across all property types, as well as delving into broader subject matter. He produces 7-10 daily news stories per day and works with the Connect team and clients to develop longer-form content, ranging from Q&As to thought-leadership pieces. Prior to joining Connect, Paul was Managing Editor for both Real Estate Forum and GlobeSt.com at American Lawyer Media, where he oversaw operations at both publications while also producing daily news and feature-length articles. His tenure in B2B publishing stretches back into the print era, and he has served as Editor in Chief on four national trade publications. Since 1999, Paul has volunteered as the newsletter editor of passenger rail advocacy groups (one national, one local).

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