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.