Bemidji’s Neilson Reise Arena Being Turned into New Indoor Sports Facility

The old Neilson Reise Arena in Bemidji getting renovations this fall that will change both its name and usage.

The newly established non-profit Bemidji Indoor Sports Commission signed a lease for the building with the City of Bemidji and has begun to transform the space into an indoor sports facility that will now be known as the Neilson Fieldhouse.

The name comes from the George W. Neilson Foundation, which donated $250,000 to help kick-start a project expected to cost half a million dollars. The facility will feature an artificial turf field, retractable batting cages, a walking track, updated locker rooms and workout spaces, a handicap accessible lift, and more.

The BSIC, which is spearheading the renovation, was created this past May, through the collaboration of the Bemidji Girls Fastpitch Softball Association, Bemidji Youth Baseball, and Bemidji Youth Soccer.

“Between organizations, we have a thousand kids, and we have growing programs that do not have an off-season place to practice and advance in [their] sport,” said BSIC President Caralee Nowak. “So we came together and noticed that the Nielsen Reise Arena had been vacant for a number of years, and it might be a prime spot to come in and and use the space, not just for our programs, but for the community as well.”

Nowak continued, “We know it was home to so many memories for Bemidji hockey and ice figure skating, and so really, it was the ice plant that went out before COVID and it just wasn’t cost efficient for the city to be able to repair it and keep it up and running. [The building] just needs a little love and to be brought back, and it can be repurposed for indoor sports.”

The Bemidji Indoor Sports Commission is hoping to open the Neilson Fieldhouse this November. You can learn more about the renovation and the facility here. If you’d like to donate or have a sponsorship inquiry, you can reach out via email to [email protected].