New rink construction

[Joan]

Does anyone know how to get an ice rink funded/built? Possibilities are enticing a rink company to open a new franchise, getting a foundation to build a community center with an ice rink, etc. How do you get them interested in a city that doesn't yet have a rink? Who do you contact?

[flippet]

Another idea--find out if there's already a private philanthropist in your city, who cares about the area and building it up. See if you can get a meeting with them.

My town has (had, they've retired and moved now) a lovely couple who have given quite a bit of money to various organizations in town. They gave money to build a walking trail through the town, they gave a 'matching grant'-type gift (with a deadline) to my university to build a performing arts center (the uni had to come up with half of it, but it was such a sizable gift that they didn't want to lose it--they got *right* on the stick and raised the other half). AND--this lovely couple gave money to build an ice rink. It's an outdoor-but-refrigerated-and-roofed facility, only open (with ice) from Nov-Mar, but it's a lot more than we had.

(I just wish I could have spoken with them and convinced them to build an all-season, enclosed facility. The town leaders were under the impression that no one in the area would actually *use* an ice rink, so why build one? This was a compromise measure, I believe. The facility is usually very crowded when it's open, and it's constantly in use---the town could probably still enclose it, but they won't. Cheapskates, no pun intended. :evil:)

[flo]

Where are you proposing a rink?

[MusicSkateFan]

I just had that thought too! I recently was in Western NY and My VERY small hometown has a vacant shopping plaza that could easily fit two surfaces! The nearest rink is about 40 minutes away.

I thought...if I was a millionare.....I would put in two rinks......several local school districts would be close by for hockey, learn to skate...etc.....this depressed area needs something for these people to do!!!!

They have several street hockey leagues that play at a local outdoor asphalt "rink"...I really feel that if someone tried to make an ice rink work ,they could......:( :(

[Joan]

Where are you proposing a rink?
Central Arkansas - Little Rock, Hot Springs, Conway, Benton, Bryant, Maumelle. Little Rock has one very old ice rink, with a smaller than hockey-regulation surface. The roof leaks and the ice-freezing infrastructure (under the ice) could go bad any day. The owners of the land could decide to sell the property to a mall developer, since that area of the city is being heavily developed right now. The only other ice rink in all of Arkansas is in Northwest Arkansas, 2.5 hr. away.

[Mrs Redboots]

I've told my brother that the indoor training facility he has built for his daughter (an international-standard dressage rider) would make a perfect ice rink!

Alas, I think ice rinks are more expensive to build and maintain than barns.....

Joking apart, you could perhaps persuade your town to invest in a temporary ice-rink over the winter holidays, and if that proves popular and profitable, to investigate the possibilities of a more permanent facility.

[FSWer]

Ummmmmm...sell cookies.

[flippet]

Ummmmmm...sell cookies.


:lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

You'd have to sell one HECK of a lot of cookies, LOL!


Speaking of, what is the average cost to start up a rink these days.....seems I checked a few years ago, and it was around $6million. Maybe a bit less if it's not enclosed, and not year round?