Let's see, the City of Pasadena is disappointed with a $22 million price tag to build a new ice rink reportedly due to zoning and historic preservation codes all within its own control. Hmmm. Moreover, every building contractor west of the Colorado River knows Pasadena has huge budget reserves they are hiding. And everyone knows that they want to create jobs programs to buy more votes and pay off more unions. Hey, even the Chamber of Commerce in this town is union controlled. So the City gets what it asked for - obscenely high bids to build a new ice rink. What did you expect? Did anyone at City Hall ever hear about the concept "design-build?" Read story here
http://pasadenanow.com/main/2009/07/14/ice-rink-decision-postponed
Apparently, Topeka, Kansas can have a new NHL-sized indoor ice rink built for about $3 million. Read here:
Indoor ice rink closer to goal
Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Dec 8, 2008 by Mike Hall
By Mike Hall
THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
With a little luck, Topeka will have ice in August.
Mike Eichten, president of Topeka Ice, said work on developing a year-round, indoor ice skating rink downtown is moving forward toward the goal of opening in late August.
Eichten and other Topeka Ice officials have been predicting since this past August that construction could begin in February and be open in the fall of 2009.
Eichten said the group now is waiting for issuance of a permit to relocate a sewer line to make way for the construction at the northwest corner of S.W. 8th and Jefferson, east across I-70 from the Topeka Performing Arts Center.
"It's not quite moving as quickly as I had hoped," he said.
But he still sticks with the prediction of construction in February.
And, he said, the architects and contractors understand that the goal is to have the facility ready by late August.
The $3 million needed to build the rink has been raised -- $1.5 million in private donations and $1.5 million from Shawnee County. In fact, Topeka Ice has exceeded its $3 million goal and continues to raise money.
The city of Topeka has donated the land for the building, now used as a public parking lot.
Eichten and others first approached the Topeka City Council with the idea in 2004.
The council agreed to transfer the parking lot to Topeka Ice on the condition it be up and running by Oct. 30, 2008.
In August, they returned to the council to report the Oct. 30 date was unrealistic because of fundraising problems. The council granted a one-year extension on that deadline.
On Friday, Eichten said there will be no difficulty in meeting that new deadline.
Should the amount received exceed construction costs, the overage would be used for more programming in the rink, Eichten said.
The plan is for the facility to be self-supporting from fees. In fact, the Topeka Ice board is hopeful the facility will generate enough revenue not only for a building maintenance fund, but also to offer reduced costs to low-income families.
The rink will be available for public skating and for private events.
Eichten said he hopes the year-round rink will create more enthusiasm for playing hockey, which will benefit the Topeka RoadRunners hockey team.
Plans include a National Hockey League-sized ice sheet, party room with kitchen facilities, spectator seating with climate- controlled viewing area, skate rental and sharpening, locker/ dressing rooms with connecting showers and bathrooms, and a pro shop.
It would be open seven days a week year-round and provide free parking.
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