Worthington approves $5M for new hockey arena, but supporters say they face a ‘tall task’ to get on the ice

The Worthington City Council approved a $5 million contribution toward a new community ice arena Monday night, but the decision has left supporters feeling that they face a “very, very tall task” to fundraise the remaining millions needed for the estimated $21 million project.

In a 4-1 vote, council members approved the $5 million contribution and stipulated that the funds have a sunset date at the end of the year. It’s a pledge that falls short of the $8 million hoped for by supporters of a new ice rink, about 40 of whom gathered at the standing-room-only meeting.

“We have a lot of money that we have to try to fundraise in eight months,” said Jason Johnson, a board member for the Worthington Hockey Association. “It’s going to be a very, very tall task.”

The school district has offered to pitch in $5 million, but only for a new facility.

The city’s current hockey arena, which opened in 1989, is past its expected lifespan, Johnson said in an interview Wednesday. He said the facility lacks a dehumidification system and a working heating system, and there have been multiple costly breaks in the main cooling lines in recent years.

He also said the rink struggles to meet demand, with the hockey association turning away teams from recent tournaments and youth practices during double-header varsity games due to lack of space.

During Monday’s meeting, the council considered several options. One involved a completely new 48,000-square-foot facility, at an estimated cost of about $21 million, with an NHL-sized rink and seating for 750.

Another option involved major renovations to the current facility, at a cost of about $11 million. And a third option would just repair critical components of the ice rink and refrigeration system, at a cost of about $6.7 million.

Several council members at Monday’s meeting expressed concerns about the costs of a new facility. Councilman Chris Kielblock voiced a preference for the $11 million renovation, believing it offered “more bang for our buck”.

Councilman Mike Kuhle stated his “red line” was $5 million, saying they needed to be “responsible stewards of the taxpayers’ money.”

He suggested that the city might contribute future sales tax revenue, potentially up to $2 million, if other public entities also “step up” with funds of their own.

Councilwoman Amy Ernst said the public feedback she received strongly favored a new facility, and she supported the council investing $8 million to the project.

“Committing only $5 million will essentially be telling everyone that we aren’t fully committed to making this project happen,” Ernst said at the meeting.

In an interview Wednesday, Ernst said it wasn’t clear what fundraising milestones might trigger additional city investment, but her understanding is the hockey association needs to show progress in its fundraising efforts.

Johnson, the board member on Worthington’s hockey association, said they’ve raised about $900,000 so far.

With the clock ticking on the city’s $5 million commitment, the hockey association says the volunteer group will have to knock on a lot of doors and make a lot of calls to raise the rest of the money by the end of the year.

“We tell our kids that they have to hustle,” Johnson said. “Now it’s our time as adults to hustle.”