Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
The city will examine different long-term options — including rebuilding without an ice rink — in a process that could take a few years, Bergstresser said.
“It could be in any number of things, that’s what we’re trying to figure that out,” he said. “If the direction is to go that path, what it actually would look like, how it would be programmed, that would be decided at a future date.”
This ice arena is commonly open from September to May, Bergstresser said. This year’s season is expected to open as scheduled, assuming the compressors work, he added.
“If they don’t, we’ll certainly communicate that to residents and user groups,” he said. “But, assuming that everything turns on OK, we are planning to have this season.
“We don’t intend to close it in any near term, but we are exploring options right now for its potential reconstruction and or re-use into something else.”
Current cost estimates show demolition of the ice arena and building a new multi-purpose athletic and recreation facility, including support space, ranges from $10.62 million to $12.44 million.
Tearing down the arena and building a new one would cost about $13.2 million to $15.46 million, Kettering records state.
The facility in “a position where replacement of several key components … is necessary, regardless of whether the facility remains an ice arena,” Kettering records show.
The roof is made of materials that are designed to keep the structure cool, Bergstresser said. It needs replacing, as do mechanical, electrical and plumbing elements, according to city documents.
A ballpark figure to replace the roof alone is in the range of $3 million to $4 million, Bergstresser said.
The roof “support structure may be able to be reused to support a new roof at a lower cost than full replacement of the structure,” according to Kettering documents. “However, the arched truss design of the existing structure makes it difficult to maintain the roof and safely make repairs to it.
“Regardless of whether the building remains an ice arena or if it is repurposed to a multi-use facility, full replacement of the existing arched truss roof structure with a flat or pitched roof that will last significantly longer and can be maintained in the same manner as other city facility roofs,” city documents state.
A 2016 study on the facility and recently updated cost estimates do not include estimates for a rehabilitation option and more study is needed, according to Kettering records.
Kettering officials may tour the facility this year and start seeking public input on options, Bergstresser said.
The city has budgeted $50,000 this year to support public feedback efforts and more technical evaluation, Kettering records state.
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