Buckled sheet metal and insulation are visible in a
section of the roof of the Jay Lively Ice Rink that
collapsed under heavy snow in January.
(photo: Jake Bacon)
Council OKs rink rebuild
by JOE FERGUSON
Arizona Daily Sun
February 18, 2010
The city of Flagstaff will spend an estimated $1.7 million in insurance money to rebuild Jay Lively Ice Arena with the goal of reopening it this fall. The only city outlay is likely to be the policy's $25,000 deductible. The Flagstaff City Council decided Tuesday against a substantial upgrade in effort to reopen the damaged building as soon as possible. Some hockey enthusiasts had hoped for the installation of seats and a second sheet of ice. But city staff told the council that substantially redesigning the rink could delay its opening for more than a year.
Most families who spoke before the Council Tuesday said their greatest concern was not with new amenities but when the rink would be open. It was severely damaged Jan. 21 when the weight of rain-soaked snow caused the roof to collapse. The Cashmans were one of those families. Rhonda Cashman said her family is currently driving to Phoenix twice a week so that her 11-year-old daughter, Courtney, can continue to get figure skating lessons. Councilmember Rick Swanson said he hoped the rink would be reopened by Sept. 1, the start of the season for the youth hockey league.
The Council did not, however, opt to use an emergency procurement process that could have sped up the reconstruction process even further. The emergency measure would forgo the normal bidding process used for most city contracts. Without it, the awarding of a building contract is expected to take an extra month. Several local contractors criticized using the emergency procurement process during the Council meeting, noting several companies in Flagstaff were qualified for the $1.7 million building contract. The Council opted instead to "fast-track" the rebuilding process by giving the arena priority with city building staff over other projects.
DONATION FUND ESTABLISHED
The Council also set up a donation fund to help rebuild Jay Lively. While the city's insurance is expected to cover most of the costs to rebuild, the city is still liable for a $25,000 deductible. The Council also discussed the possibility the donations could be earmarked for improvements to the facility. But those would be considered only after the ice rink reopens.
The only major upgrade will likely be to the roof, where the city will build to current building standards. City staff noted on Tuesday night that when the original roof was built it was designed to hold 20 pounds of load per square foot; the current standard is double that amount.
The Council also directed staff to sign off on application for ABC's "Extreme Home Make-Over" reality show to consider rebuilding the ice rink. Several children are currently circulating the petition in the community. The show generally focuses on rebuilding homes, not facilities like the ice rink. A temporary rink is expected to open in the coming weeks, but several members of the skating community said the portable rink from the city of Williams is too small to be useful.