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For the week of April 16 - 22, 2003

News

Ice rink proposal gets support from Hailey


By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Hailey City Council members and the mayor are expressing strong support for a proposal by a local nonprofit group to construct a covered, multi-purpose ice rink in the city.

Ron Fairfax, president of Hailey Ice, Inc., issued a proposal to the city Monday, April 14, to construct a 120-foot by 240-foot structure with a steel truss roof, refrigerated ice and hockey sideboards on a yet-to-be-determined plot of public land in Hailey.

The public facility would be used primarily for ice skating and hockey from Oct. 1 through April 1, Fairfax said. In addition, the facility would be available for a variety of uses in the summer, including concerts and fairs.

The proposal issued by Fairfax and Diane Heiner, co-vice president of Hailey Ice, notes that the structure is estimated to cost approximately $600,000. Including construction of additional support facilities, such as locker rooms and rest rooms—plus the establishment of a $50,000 reserve fund—the entire project might require $847,000, the proposal notes.

"We like it," Mayor Susan McBryant said.

Fairfax told council members that the group is seeking a piece of public land on which to locate the facility. Several sites under consideration include lands owned by the city, Blaine County School District and Blaine County Recreation District.

"Before we really start fund raising, we need a site," Fairfax said.

Fairfax said Hailey Ice is considering two sites near Wood River High School, but may prefer to build the ice rink in the city’s Roberta McKercher Park, near the corner of Fourth Avenue and Highway 75. Hailey Ice in recent years has gained city permission to install a temporary ice rink in the park each winter, a program that has earned praise from city officials and residents alike.

McBryant said the city would consider allowing the facility to be located on the northeast corner of the park if city officials can determine that "ownership issues" would not restrict the project.

McBryant noted that if the city provided the land, it might want to eventually acquire ownership of the structure. Fairfax did not object.

With informal support from the council, the mayor instructed city officials to establish a "fast track" schedule to research whether the city could provide public land for the project.

 

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