All smiles for Dr. T's MetroCentre lounge

Kris Tumilowicz is once again putting his mark on the Rockford IceHogs and the MetroCentre.

The Rockford dentist, who once owned the hockey team, is paying $360,000 to put his company's name on the luxury lounge at the arena's southeast corner. The Dental Dimensions Club Lounge, as it's now dubbed, will seat 128 and have a private entrance, restrooms, a full bar and wait service.

Tumilowicz said the sponsorship is part of his desire to further the resurgence of Rockford's downtown.

"I'm very excited that in my own small way we can help support not only the Rockford IceHogs, but the MetroCentre and downtown Rockford," Tumilowicz said. "As you know, I just live upstream from here and I consider downtown Rockford to be my playground, whether it's the Coronado (Performing Arts Center) or the New American Theater or the MetroCentre. We really enjoy being close to downtown."

The naming rights run for three years. Tumilowicz said he'd be interested in extending them if the current arrangement proves fruitful.

Getting the Dental Dimensions name on the club lounge took some negotiations, but Tumilowicz said his desire to support the MetroCentre outweighed his uncertainty.

"This is a big extreme makeover," he said. "I'm used to extreme makeovers for smiles, but this is the whole building. It's a renaissance for downtown Rockford."

The majority of the club lounge seats, plus 72 more club seats on a different level, have been sold at $2,000 each for the season, said Brian Luther, Centre Events assistant general manager.

The naming rights for the MetroCentre itself are still up for grabs. Jim McIlroy, vice president for corporate communications for Centre Events and the IceHogs, said three interested parties are in discussions to have their name on the arena.

Talks have taken longer than expected, McIlroy said, but he said an announcement would happen after the start of the IceHogs' season.

"It's going to happen," he said, adding that Wednesday's naming announcement could spur talks. "This makes that happen all the faster."

Construction of the club lounge is part of the ongoing renovation project at the MetroCentre. The current phase is expected to be done by Nov. 2, when the IceHogs play their first home game.

Crews are installing the structural steel for the arena's video screen this week, Luther said. The ice floor will go through a test freeze later this week to check for cracks before the ice is laid next week.

Also Wednesday, the MetroCentre accepted Rockford Memorial Development Foundation's donation of two automatic external defibrillators for the arena. The portable devices deliver a shock that can bring a heart in cardiac arrest back to a normal rhythm. The Foundation will also provide training on their use.

Staff writer Sean F. Driscoll can be reached at 815-987-1410 or sdriscoll@rrstar.com.