The Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto is expanding its arena to house more memorabilia.
Officials announced Friday they are renewing the museum's lease to Dec. 31, 2032 and expanding the "World of Hockey Zone" beside the former Bank of Montreal building at Yonge and Front Sts.
That specialty display is partly bankrolled with contributions from the International Ice Hockey Federation and will become the Hall's largest dedicated exhibit area at Brookfield Place.
"This expansion opportunity will add an exciting new dimension to our core exhibition and retail assets while providing enhanced streetscape presence for ease of access and visibility," Hockey Hall of Fame's President and CEO Jeff Denomme said.
The renewed lease, the first of four 20-year extension options, is part of a new agreement that includes additional retail space.
The facility's retail store will be relocated to the concourse level.
The "World of Hockey Zone" will house its growing international hockey collections in 6,000 square feet of space. They will include Sidney Crosby's gold medal-winning puck and other recent acquisitions from the Olympic Games in Vancouver this February.
The $3.5-million expansion is scheduled for completion by the first week of November.
The Hockey Hall of Fame, which recently displayed a medal from all of the modern Olympic Games since they were launched late in the 1800s, was established in 1943 and moved from Exhibition Place to Brookfield Place 50 years later.
