New Ice Rink Pitched to City Council

Tuesday, the Mendota Heights City Council got a look at the beginnings of a plan to replace the aging West St. Paul Ice Arena.

The arena, built in 1972, is just about at the end of its service life. A memo sent to council members as part of Tuesday’s workshop described the faclity as “one major repair (problem) from being closed permanently” and “in need of major repairs.”

Plans for the building’s replacement is still in the most embryonic of stages, but already Mendota Heights is wondering whether to participate. Council members were pitched the idea of appointing representatives to a volunteer commission to study demand for the rink, funding proposals, and develop cost estimates. It would have representatives from West Saint Paul, Mendota Heights, Eagan, Sunfish Lake, Mendota, and Lilydale. The city and West Saint Paul would each get 40 percent of the vote on the commission, the ISD 197 school district would get 10 percent of the vote, and the remaining communities would split the remaining 10 percent of the vote.

Currently 72 percent of the West Saint Paul Ice Arena’s users come from Mendota Heights, briefing documents from Tuesday’s presentation said.

Much of the study group’s work could be done by the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission, if the committee takes MASC up on its offer to evaluate potential locations, funding schemes, cost estimates, and user demand. The group did something similar for north metro communities in the 1990’s when the Schwan Super Rink was built.

Tuesday’s meeting was only a workshop for council members to explore ideas, and no vote on joining the study commission was taken.