The Dome itself was originally meant to be replaced by a more permanent 3,000 seat facility as part of the Altair development,[3] but changes to the plans have seen the current rink retained, with alterations to be made, including the addition of a 10 pin bowling facility[4] The Ice Dome is a prefabricated structure constructed in Finland.

But due to several delays,([6][7][8]), the opening was put back to 17 February 2007 match against the Edinburgh Capitals, with a reduced capacity of 1,200.

However, due to the ice surface not being ready in time, the first game actually took place on 25 February 2007, against Basingstoke Bison.

A series of plasma screen monitors were installed during the first half of the 2007–2008 season, to help the Phoenix improve the experience of the game night as well as countering the limited sightlines.

A dehumidification system was installed during the 2008–09 season to help maintain the quality of the ice, which had been a cause of concern for some visiting clubs and match officials.

During the summer of 2010, the rink and ice hockey club are making a further alteration with the installation of luxury seating, handrails, and a bar to 'Block 15'.

The first sold out event at the rink was on New Year's Day 2019 when Manchester Storm hosted the Sheffield Steelers in front of a capacity crowd of 2,351.

At the top of Block 7 is a partially enclosed hospitality area built for use by the sponsors of the resident ice hockey team.

A separate DJ booth is located at ice level between the team benches for use during public skating sessions.

All of the buildings other facilities (toilets, concession stands, skate hire, storage lockers, public bar, changing rooms, etc.)