CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The new F&M Arena is making progress toward completion downtown, and new partners have joined in. Shelby’s Trio, a new restaurant concept by Cathy and Joe Maynard, as well as Ford Motors have joined in on the F&M Arena project.

As part of Ford Motor’s arrangement with the arena, the new ice rinks will become Ford Ice Centers, like those in Bellevue and Antioch.

The arena is expected to open in the summer of 2023.

F&M Bank introduced their new partners on Friday, as they hosted tours of the new arena for local leaders and media.

F&M Bank President Sammy Stuard spoke with guests outside of the new arena downtown May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The new arena will include several locations for food and drink, May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A view of downtown from the third level of the F&M Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The new arena will include several locations for food and drink, May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A view from the APSU Suite on the third level of F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A rendering of the future F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A rendering of the future F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A rendering of the future F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

Outside the suites on the third level of F&M Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

Outside the suites on the third level of F&M Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A vendor space at the new F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022.

A rendering of the future F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A view of downtown from the third level of the F&M Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A view of downtown from the third level of the F&M Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

One of several entrances to the arena’s main space May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A rendering of the future F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A rendering of the future F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A rendering of the future F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A rendering of the future F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The main arena, which will be able to host a wide range of events including basketball, hockey, concerts and conventions May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

A rendering of the future APSU Basketball training facility at the F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The future APSU Basketball training facility at the F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The future community ice rink at the new F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The future community ice rink at the new F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

The future community ice rink at the new F&M Bank Arena May 13, 2022 (Casey Williams)

See past progress photos of the arena here.

The new partnerships

“We are thrilled that Ford and Shelby’s Trio have elected to join F&M Bank Arena as founding partners,” Danny Butler, vice president and general manager of Ford Ice Centers and Project Manager for F&M Bank Arena, said in a news release. “We are excited to grow our relationship with Ford at the ice centers, which started in Antioch in 2014 and continued with Bellevue. Shelby’s Trio and the Maynard family are dedicated leaders in the Clarksville community, and we are looking forward to both long-term partnerships.”

The arena’s main arena bowl will also be able to add an ice surface, giving it the ability to host hockey tournaments and attract larger on-ice events or competitions much like the existing Ford Ice Centers in Antioch and Bellevue.

“The Mid-South Ford Dealers are thrilled to continue the tradition of supporting the Ford Ice Centers in our local communities to include the Ford Ice Center in Clarksville,” said Casey Jenkins, chair of the Mid-South Ford Dealer Association and owner of Jenkins and Wynne Ford. “This center will greatly impact Clarksville and surrounding communities for generations to come and we look forward to the growth and activity this opportunity brings with it.”

“Shelby’s Trio, Trio Hospitality and the Maynard family are pleased to enter this long-term relationship with SS&E and Austin Peay State University at F&M Bank Arena,” said Joe Maynard, a business leader in Clarksville and the owner of Shelby’s Trio and Trio Hospitality. “My wife, Cathi, and I are excited for the opportunities this relationship offers in terms of community enhancement and growth for downtown Clarksville. We look forward to many years of the partnership.”

Ford Ice Centers will offer a variety of learn-to-skate programs at F&M Bank Arena, continuing its mission to expose and grow hockey to more Middle Tennessee residents. F&M Bank Arena will hold approximately 6,000 fans for concerts, 5,500 for basketball games and 5,000 for hockey games.

Also this week, it was announced that the state is giving Montgomery County a $14 million grant to build a new parking garage next to F&M Bank Arena.