by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
Hockey enthusiasts in Sartell are making plans and raising funds for a second sheet of ice at Bernick’s Arena.
The Sartell City Council, at its April 8 meeting, heard an outline of the plans from Chad Ritter, chairman of the Sartell Youth Recreation Board, which operates and maintains Bernick’s Arena.
The new sheet of ice, 200 feet by 85 feet, would be created outside of the current indoor arena. It would have a concrete floor with a refrigeration system to keep the ice sheet frozen. There would be a free-standing roof above the ice sheet and bleachers. There would also be a turf area for multiple year-round sports. That would be built as the first of three phases, Ritter told the council. Phase I would cost an estimated $2.9 million.
Phase II. Estimated cost $1.1 million. It would involve building a second-floor mezzanine viewing area in the current arena, overlooking the ice rink, meeting rooms and upstairs bathrooms.
Phase III. Estimated cost $1.3 million. It would involve creating more locker rooms, coaches’ rooms and a dry-land training space outside the arena.
Hockey enthusiasts have long wanted a second sheet of ice at the arena, Ritter noted. Hockey programs and the ever-growing popularity of the sport have increased dramatically year after year. About 885 youth are now avid hockey players in programs that rely upon ice time at the arena. The problem is there is just not enough ice time for practice and for games – so much so that open ice time for figure skating had to be discontinued some years ago
Ritter said so far about $1.75 million has been raised for the planned projects, with another $250,000 in pledges. Scheel’s plans to contribute, as well as other organizations, such as the Sartell Youth Hockey Organization, which donated a substantial amount in September 2018, Ritter noted. He asked the City Council to support the ice sheet plan and to transfer field-house naming rights to Scheel’s. The council voted unanimously to transfer naming rights.
Background
The Bernick’s Arena, which opened in 2003, was built at a total cost of $2.4 million via a partnership agreement between the city and hockey fans. A massive amount of the finishing work was done by hockey enthusiasts.
The arena is supported and maintained by the Sartell Youth Recreation organization, along with the Sartell Youth Hockey Association.
There have been many upgrades to the arena through the years, partly with help from Mighty Ducks’ grants. A couple of years ago, the city agreed to put in a paved parking lot on the east side of the arena.
The arena rents ice time through a partnership with hockey teams and organizations, as well as a gymnastics program in the summer months. The arena is also an occasional venue for other events, including an outdoor farmers’ market and in recent years musical concerts (indoors and outdoors), weddings and just two weeks ago a craft fair that attracted a huge crowd.
Ritter said the new projects and the second sheet of ice should be sufficient for 10 years at least to accommodate hockey play and practice, as well as the needs of other non-hockey groups.
