As we enjoy the summer season and spend more time outdoors, the City of Lakewood is also continuing to invest in one of our most used and enjoyed year-round facilities – Winterhurst Ice Arena. This beloved public asset serves thousands of skaters each year – from hockey players and figure skaters to youngsters just finding their footing on the ice in beginner lessons and families looking for a fun weekend outing.
When I took office, Winterhurst was leased to a private company and had drifted from its original mission – to serve as an affordable, inviting, community-focused ice rink that puts the needs and priorities of Lakewood residents first. In 2023, after engaging the public to determine skater priorities and facility needs, the City made the decision to end the third-party lease and bring Winterhurst back under City control. At the same time, we decided to invest in the facility through a long-term capital improvement plan to bring Winterhurst back to its traditional role.
Our multi-year, three-phase revitalization of Winterhurst began in 2023 as we engaged a new partner, Lake
In 2023, we also began developing and implementing our capital repair and improvement plan for the facility. Initial upgrades involved replacing refrigeration equipment, upgrading lighting, refreshed lobby and concessions areas, modernizing mechanical systems, and performing roof repairs. Initial physical improvements include a refresh (e.g., new paint) for the lobby, concessions, and lounge areas, as well as a 100% replacement of the skates (both hockey and figure) available for the public rental use.
This year, we expect to complete a major expansion of the footprint of Winterhurst that will allow us to achieve a number of goals and address several items that have long challenged the facility. The City is adding 12,000 square feet to Winterhurst that will modernize existing locker room space and create new locker room space, create a dedicated indoor training and warmup area, expanded and ADA-friendly seating for spectators, and add an elevator, creating additional ADA accessibility. We have made full use of the square footage available on the Winterhurst lot, picking up extra space by expanding into unused land near the corner of Warren and Lakewood Heights Boulevard.
Next year, we expect finalize our Winterhurst capital project, which will included replacing the aging HVAC system serving the facility. When complete, the five-year project will represent an $8 million investment in our community. As always, the City has worked to seek outside dollars for the project, and through the efforts of former State Representative Mike Skindell and State Senator Nickie Antonio, we were able to secure a $750,000 allocation from the State of Ohio capital budget and additional local dollars from the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities to support our accessibility improvements to the facility.
I want to thank our City of Lakewood staff (especially David Baas in Planning and Development), our partners at LCI, and our design and construction professionals with Rodgers Building Solutions and architect Robert Andrus, for all the thought, creativity, and passion they have poured into this project. I am especially proud that through our combined efforts, Winterhurst has remained open during the duration of these projects so skaters can continue to enjoy the ice.
We all look forward to full completion of the project next year and to making sure that Winterhurst shines as a fun, welcoming, and vibrant community asset for generations to come.