292 Design Group Merges with JLG Architects
Minneapolis Minn.—JLG Architects recently announced a merger between its firm and the Minneapolis-based 292 Design Group, a hockey and sports-focused architecture firm with strong ties to elite athletic programs and NHL programs across the country.
“This is a bold step forward for our ice clients—reinforcing the strength of our Sport Studio and putting us in a prime position to be the world’s undisputed ice hockey design experts,” says JLG’s CEO, Michelle Mongeon Allen.
JLG is currently considered one of the country’s top sports and hockey architecture firms with over 170 employee-owners spanning 10 offices and four states. The firm is home to the only practicing Architect in the country to have earned the designation of Certified Ice Technician and Certified Ice Rink Manager through the U.S. Ice Rink Association.
“This merger forges a powerful alliance that will have a major impact on the future of sports design, and more specifically, hockey facilities throughout the world,” Allen says.
The transition marks the fifth merger in JLG’s company history, focused on future-proofing its award-winning sports and hockey studio, amplifying client accessibility, and expanding the firm’s Design for Life approach.
“In our Sport Studio, Design for Life is all about creating an immersive fan, athlete, and operator experience—we focus on how each occupant uses the space, elements to enhance the user experience, and strategic solutions to transform and connect with the surrounding community, fans, and athletes,” says Mike Wekesser, JLG’s Sports Practice Studio Leader. “The decision to join forces with 292 was simple—we are both passionate about future-driven athletic environments, and we’ve both built a strong reputation in dynamic hockey arena design. We collectively understand that if a facility doesn’t make the lives of players, fans, and operators better, actively engage the community, and elevate its function for sustainable revenue and recruitment, it doesn’t move forward.”
JLG is recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Top 50 Best Places to Work, a 2022 Great Place to Work-Certified company, and one of MSN Money’s 50 Most Admired Companies. JLG is the Architect-of-Choice for the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and has been the lead architect for the United States Hockey League, the North American Hockey League, and several collegiate Division 1 programs. The firm was also named a Sports Architecture Giant by Building Design+Construction.
“The decision to merge with JLG just made sense, it allows our collective expertise and passion for hockey arena architecture to reach new levels. My belief is architecture should always exceed our client’s vision aesthetically, functionally, and operationally. I have always been driven to make ice arena design a significant community asset in how it impacts the athlete, fans, and communities in which they are located,” says Tom Betti, 292 Design Group Partner.
292 Design Group
292 Design Group was established in 2009, led by three partners who worked together for several years in a previous firm: Pam Anderson, AIA, CID, LEED AP; Tom Betti, AIA, NCARB; and Mark Wentzell, AIA. Prior to the merger, 292 was a full-service architecture and planning firm that provided feasibility and assessment studies, comprehensive planning, architectural and interior design, and environmental graphics. Their team brings over three decades of experience in a range of sports facilities and hockey arena design, community and wellness centers, healthcare clinics, and educational spaces.
JLG’s merger leverages 292 Design Group’s distinct ice arena, sport, and recreational experience through an extensive portfolio of over 40 Minnesota-based projects, including: Shakopee Ice Arena and Community Center; Elk River Multi-Sport Facility; Andover Community Center Expansion; Minneapolis YWCA; UMD’s Malosky Stadium; Chaska Community Center Ice Arena; Maple Grove Ice Arena; Plymouth Ice Arena; Buffalo Civic Center Ice Arena; St. Paul Tennis Club; Hastings YMCA; Lakeville Hasse Arena; and Rogers Activity Center to name a few.
292 Design Group also brings national rink and recreational experience with projects like the Ice Den—Phoenix Coyotes Training Center in Scottsdale, AZ, St. Louis Blues Training Facility in St. Louis, MO, Jordan Valley Ice Complex in Springfield, MO, Bowling Green Training & Community Center in Bowling Green, OH, Great Park Ice & Sports Complex in Irvine, CA (Training Center for the Anaheim Ducks), Chandler Ice Den in Chandler, AZ, St. Peters’ Rec-Plex Training Center in St. Peters, MO, and the MN AIA awarded Gladstone Community Center in Gladstone, MO.