$15 million expansion with no ice sheet?
February 8, 2012 at 4:00 am in Woodbury Bulletin
A third indoor ice sheet may be a bit of a stretch and too expensive to be included in plans for the Bielenberg Sports Center expansion.
But a local youth hockey club says it would serve a growing community that will otherwise continue to seek ice time elsewhere. Continue Reading
This article upset me so much that I signed up to be able to reply online – and I have never replied to a newspaper article before.
To read Bob Klatt being quoted in the article stating that the City doesn’t want to see an “overbuilding” of ice sheets in the metro, and that there are arenas right now that have avaiable hours, shows that research has not been conducted and the city is not in touch with the needs.
The hockey club and figure skating clubs continue to grow. We have a new high school with teams also trying to have ice time. Woodbury is a growing community and the athletic programs will also continue to grow. Soccer, football, baseball, etc. have had relief with expansion of the Bielenberg Sports Center fields with the ERHS construction – but the ice arena remained the same.
By state law you cannot work kids under 16 past 9pm (federal law is 7pm). However kids in the area REPEATEDLY have practices that extend beyond 9pm on school nights because that is the only available ice time.
Ice time is an issue every year we have been involved with the hockey club (now 8 years) and we have 2 players in the mix (12 year old & 9 year old).
Our kids also use the fieldhouse – which does need to be replaced first – totally agree that it needs attention. But part of the planning process needs to address when ice can be added if not immediately.
I hope the task force considers these types of issues while it reviews the expansion and when we can add more indoor ice!
Come on parents, fans & those who utilize the facilities. Let’s make our concerns known. As I am learning lately on several fronts – if we do not speak up – people will think it is just fine the way it is!
Regards
Michelle Julius
Woodbury resident
Woodbury Hockey Club family
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Michelle; Your reaction to the Bielenberg Expansion situation is similar to those I’ve encountered hundreds of times from parents and coaches involved in the skating community in Woodbury. I’ve been involved with the Woodbury Area Hockey Club for 12+ years, many of those as ice director – responsible for procuring the ice that Bob Klatt says is so available.
However, this is not just a hockey club issue as the article intimates. Check out some of the facts below. It also involves Skating Lessons, Figure Skating, and High School Hockey (Boys and Girls).
• When the East Rink was built in 1999 WAHC had 488 members – today it is over 1100. More than double the participants for the same amount of available ice time.
• The City of Woodbury turns away kids from Skating Lessons due to lack of ice time
• The Woodbury Figure Skating Club is limiting participants due to lack of available ice.
• On Tuesdays the Figure Skating Coaches instruct for 45 minutes at Bielenberg and then drive to River Falls for 2 more hours of practice.
• The Woodbury HS and ERHS Hockey teams don’t get access to as much ice time as compared to their conference competition.
Today 40% of the ice time that is rented for Woodbury skaters is away from Bielenberg. In 2014 when the expansion is due to be finished that number will be nearly 50%. Think of all the gas that is wasted. Skating parents will be forced to spend an extra $110,000 per season on gas just because a 3rd sheet is not built at Bielenberg.
If you read between the lines of the Bielenberg Expansion proposal it appears that the City is trying to find every available dollar to put toward this project and they can only justify spending $15-16 million. The vast majority of which is for the field house.
Now granted Woodbury does need an indoor turf facility. But if I had my recommendation I would replace the dome with a much larger dome. (Similar to Augsburg, Concordia, Eden Prairie, White Bear Lake, or Rosemount). The technology for air supported membrane structures has improved significantly since 1995 providing 25-30 year lifetimes. The cost of a new/ larger dome is less that ¼ that of a rigid structure and with the money saved the City could afford to build an indoor 3rd ice sheet.
The result: For the same capital costs you can more than double the revenue generated than from just a fieldhouse. The entire Bielenberg P&L statement improves with a new/ larger dome plus indoor ice sheet compared to a fieldhouse plus outdoor rink. Everyone benefits.
In the end my overriding fear is that the City will dedicate so much money towards building a fieldhouse that it will prevent any other improvements for other users for the next 20 years. Yes you are correct, the council is quietly progressing on this project and very few people in the skating community are paying attention to what will happen if a 3rd ice sheet is not added now – it may never happen.
Like you say – Speak up.
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