Posted: 1/22/03

Ice arena bottom line suffers

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

If Darrell Nelson worked the strip in Las Vegas, his magic act would have elephants disappearing from the stage. But as the supervisor of the Maroon and Gold Ice Arena in Forest Lake, Nelsonís act involves keeping a white elephant running. After more than two decades of operation, that is what the local ice arena is fast becoming.

How long the arena will remain operational is a question that troubles Nelson who has dodged bullets the past two skating seasons but faces a long list of repair needs for the ice arena.

ìIíve come to a T in the road,î Nelson said. ìThere is no way to go straight ahead.î

Nelson spent 14 years working for Ramsey County and its ice rink system before taking the job of arena supervisor here in March of 1984. That was shortly after ISD 831 picked up the operation of the facility that had been built in 1981 by community members on school-owned land south of Forest View Elementary School.

As the skating season for the winter of 2002-2003 winds down, Nelson and the school district are facing a dilemma. Should the arena undergo needed upgrades or should the school district bank on plans in the community for a new skating facility to be constructed as part of a civic center complex project proposed south of Forest Lake Airport?

As of mid-January, plans for a two-sheet ice arena as part of the civic center complex have not been finalized. A capital fund-raising drive once targeted for the fall of 2002 is now set to begin this winter.

Backers of the new ice arena complex remain optimistic the new arena can be under construction this spring and completed in the fall. No final decisions have been made.

Nelsonís dilemma

In the 18 years ISD 831 has operated Maroon and Gold, the school district has done so with a ìbottom lineî mandate. The arena has essentially been self sufficient, meaning revenues generated from ice time rentals, concessions and admissions have funded operational expenses and needed upgrades and repairs.

When major repairs have been needed, general fund dollars may be used to cover the cost, but the fund is repaid from arena revenues.

In a review of projected revenues from ice time sales this year, Nelson is troubled by the bottom line mandate. Based on current ice time sales, the arenaís revenue is expected to tumble some $20,000 over last year.

ìItís getting tougher, tougher and tougher,î Nelson said of keeping in step with the bottom line mandate.

Contracts for ice time sales point to the problem. A year ago, Maroon and Gold contracted for 1302 hours of ice time. For the 2002-2003 season, the number of hours sold dropped 114 hours to 1188 hours, according to arena reports.

A major reason has been a decline in use by the local hockey association. According to hours currently contracted this year, Forest Lake Hockey Association will use 696 hours this winter compared to 836 hours in the 2001-2002 skating season.

Dorothy Stainbrook, ice scheduler for the hockey association, said the association is optimistic some of the hours the association has given up will be restored in early March for district playoffs at Maroon and Gold.

Stainbrook said the association has looked for ice time rentals during the week that donít keep youth out until 11 p.m. That has meant less time at Maroon and Gold, she said.

ìThe coaches just said enough,î Stainbrook said of late-night skating sessions on school nights.

Nelson said he understands the philosophical reasoning of the local hockey association. ìThey have their reasons for canceling this time,î Nelson said, stressing that the comment was not an indictment of the association.

But a major loss of revenue is a major blow to the arenaís ability to remain financially viable, Nelson said.

The future?

As Nelson prepares for a March 5 season end, the supervisor says some big questions need to be answered.

With plans still not definite for a new skating facility, Nelson is making contingency plans to reopen in the fall. But there is much uncertainty between now and September, he said.

Last month, Nelson went before the school boardís building and grounds committee to spell out the situation. He presented documentation showing needs facing the arena.

Two years ago the arena needed $30,000 in emergency repairs to keep the doors open. He has documented repairs and upgrades that could reach $100,000 if all were completed at one time.

Of major concern, he said, is a needed overhaul of the two compressors and making repairs to the fire sprinkler system that is required in the building. Overhauling one compressor and dealing with the sprinkler system could approach $30,000, Nelson said.

But they are needed, he points out. Compressors used to power the ice-making system generally run 10,000 hours before they are overhauled, he said. In this case, one of the compressors has logged 30,000 hours of operation and has not been touched.

Nelson shudders to think of floor breaks and refrigerant leaks that remain a possibility.

ìIt needs a lot of money if we are going to stay in business,î Nelson said.

Dan Poepard, director of community services and Nelsonís boss, said the public should be aware of the situation and decisions the school district must face. Poepard said there may come a time soon when the school board will be faced with spending funds beyond the ìbottom lineî mandate to keep the facility in use.

Another major move, he said, could be a decision by the school board to close the facility or determine a point in time when the facility will no longer serve the skating community.

Way of life

Nelson, who has spent the better part of three decades inside arenas, has used his expertise and skills to help keep the facility running smoothly. Even Nelson now admits the ìband-aidî approach is facing an ìuphill battle.î

He understands the facility means much to the community. Each week during the peak of the skating season, an estimated 5000-7000 people come to the arena to skate and watch practices and games. Figure skating and school skating programs also count on the arena.

ìTo some of these people, itís a winter way of life,î Nelson said.

But Nelsonís magic can go just so far.

He is looking at ways to save operational dollars. Closing two weeks early this spring will help. He could save some funds, he says, by cutting back the daytime operation which would mean less staff and some building energy costs, but less opportunity for community and school programs to use the arena.

ìThere isnít any more blood to squeeze out of the turnip,î he said.

But the big costs, he says, are in the ice-making system which must run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For Nelson, the remaining months of winter and the spring will be important days to the future of Maroon and Gold.

ìWe have some issues that have to be addressed,î he says. ìWeíve lived on borrowed time.î

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