Managers of the Snow King Sports and Events Center plan to apply for a $1.5 million state grant to build an additional ice rink.

The ice sheet would be housed in a new freestanding building where the parking lot just northeast of the center now sits, according to preliminary renderings provided by operators Central Management Inc.

The ice rink was initially part of a later phase of center improvements, but interest from donors and the success of other improvements at the center bumped up the schedule.

“It’s something we’ve had in our overall thinking since we started,” said John Valiante, president and chief executive of Central Management Inc. “There’s a lot more community support for it than we initially thought.”

The additional space would be used for recreation, but could also be tapped during the summer for conferences and conventions, he said.

The deadline for grant applications is March 1.

The Wyoming Business Council awarded a similar grant for $250,000 to the center last summer, with the town providing matching funds. That money is being used to build a new entrance and an additional conference room.

In all, Valiante estimates the new building will cost close to $2 million. Central Management Inc., along with private donors, will fund the rest of the project.

The town will own the new building and oversee its construction, Valiante said.