Rink remodel still a go
Photo
The subject of much controversy in recent weeks, the Janesville Ice Arena is currently closed due to a mechanical breakdown.
Photo
This simple sign on a door of the Janesville Ice Arena tells patrons the facility is closed until further notice.
JANESVILLE — The Janesville City Council on Monday reassured Wisconsin Hockey Partners that it would stand by its decision to sink $200,00 into the city's aged ice arena, despite hearing that a private group hopes to partner with the city and raise money to build a new rink.
A representative of the group said major problems would remain at the ice arena even if the city spends $200,000.
The council in March approved a lease with Wisconsin Hockey Partners and voted to spend the money to build a locker room and expand the concession stand so the group can bring a Junior A hockey team here.
A newly formed building committee of the Janesville Youth Hockey Club, however, recently announced it hopes to partner with the city to raise money to build a new facility.
City council members found themselves in a quandary and met in closed session to discuss spending the $200,000 in light of "this other proposal floating out there," council member Russ Steeber said after members reconvened in open session.
Council members asked Bill McCoshen of Wisconsin Hockey Partners exactly what he needed in improvements to bring the team here. McCoshen said he needed the locker rooms required by league rule and the expanded concession stand.
If a new rink is to be built, "I don't know if we want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on something we're abandoning in a year," Steeber said.
McCoshen said the hastily called closed session Monday caused his partners and him "quite a bit of angst. They'd like some certainty from you guys."
If the council needs more time, Wisconsin Hockey Partners could look at getting a team here in 2010 instead, he said.
Steeber said the council is committed to bringing the team here, although the level of commitment varies among members. He also said he didn't want the momentum to stall by waiting a year.
Bids for the remodeling are scheduled to be opened later this week, and McCoshen said they could be less than expected because of the economy.
If the total is higher than $200,000, the project would have to come back to the council for a vote.
The council plans to replace the rink's chilling system and make other repairs for a total of about $1 million in 2010.
The rink is closed now because of equipment failure. It is difficult to find replacement parts because of the system's age. City Manager Eric Levitt hopes to have it open by June for less than $10,000.
Six council members approved a motion to stick to the original plan of $200,000 and assure the WHP that the lease would transfer if a new rink is built.
"The council's committed; you're committed, and I'm going support it to the end," Councilman Bill Truman said.
Councilman Frank Perrotto passed on the vote.
Jeff Vosters of the Janesville Youth Hockey Club and spokesman for its building committee said the group continues to work with the city and user groups at the ice arena.
"However, we haven't come to any point of agreement with anybody yet," he said.
Other committee members include Larry Squire, Mark Robinson, GR Lyons and Chris Simonson.
Vosters said the group still has time to come up with a plan before the $200,000 is spent.
Concerns remain about the existing ice rink, including the failing chilling system, its energy inefficiency, expensive maintenance and infrastructure problems.
New ice rinks that offer more energy efficiency provide a "tremendously short payback period," Vosters said.
Some also question whether the facility is big enough for a city of this size, Vosters said.
A preliminary plan from the group suggested building a rink with two sheets of ice.
"Ultimately, even if we have a plan that is implemented in three months or three years, the need is still going to be there," Vosters said.
May 14, 2009 at 3:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
cougar21: That is a great idea in concept. However 1.2 million will never be enough to build a new ice arena. Try multiplying that number by four at least.
May 14, 2009 at 12:38 p.m.
Suggest removal
The ice arena has been an important recreational facility for more than 30 years, but it is obviously past its useful life. It looks like the Youth Hockey group and the City Council have the right idea. Rather than put $1.2 Million into the existing facility (which has only one sheet of ice and is in a less-than-ideal location), we should take the same $1.2 Million and build a new ice arena in a better location. Any place near the Youth Sports Complex or the HWY 11 bypass would be ideal because the arena could attract users from outside the City. Talk about not making investments into our community when times are tough is short-sighted. The facility could be built cheaper now because contractors are hungry, and Janesville needs to keep investing in itself if it really wants to emerge healthy from the GM fallout.
May 13, 2009 at 8:29 p.m.
Suggest removal
More to the point, since it's a city facility, the federal money -- if there is an appropriate fund at all -- would have to be requested by the city. It's not like they can call up DC, get a check, and have their own contractors show up and start making modifications.
.
Wisconsin, by the way, gets back only 88 cents for every federal tax dollar contributed.
http://www.nemw.org/taxburd.htm
May 13, 2009 at 7:14 p.m.
Suggest removal
MadeinUSA - federal monies is still your money, just that the takers only get pennies on the dollar back after it goes through the federal government.
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.