Is the Ice Rink Next to Go?

[Michael Deneen]

Summers recently said that the private operator of the Winterhurst/Serpentini Ice Rink could exit the deal when the contract expires in 2018.

Unlike the hospital, the rink has been a money loser for the city at least as far back as the 1990s. The agreement with Ice Land USA has taken those losses off the books for the past ten years or so.
If Ice Land USA pulls out, Summers has already floated the idea of an alternate use for the building....he mentioned indoor soccer as a potential option.

Perhaps this entire thing is a contract negotiating ploy by Ice Land USA.
However, the story appeared in one of Summers "preferred" media sources, so it wouldn't make sense to leak this publicly and give Ice Land USA additional contract leverage.

Are we about to lose yet another Lakewood institution?
The rink is used very heavily, so closure would be a loss to the community.
However, given our eroding tax base, the city really can't afford to take back operations of the rink.

What do you think?

[Bridget Conant]

An indoor soccer facility!?!? The mayor said "its a giant field house!"

They just won't quit, will they?

[Bridget Conant]

And let's not forget the involvement of the unsinkable Ed Fitzgerald in the Iceland deal. Still surprised he wasn't charged with corruption.

Must've emboldened him.

http://www.cleveland.com/countyincrisis ... _fron.html

And tell me this doesn't sound familiar?

Less than two months later, Dimora and Neiheiser each gave $250 to FitzGerald's campaign, records show. In June 2008, at FitzGerald's urging, the Lakewood City Council unanimously agreed to lease its Winterhurst ice rink to a Neiheiser company. FitzGerald said he sought and considered other proposals, but Neiheiser's was the only one that council members reviewed.

"We took the mayor's word on it, which we often do," said Council President Kevin Butler. "There's no reason to disbelieve him on it."

[Brian Essi]

Perhaps this entire thing is a contract negotiating ploy by Ice Land USA.
However, the story appeared in one of Summers "preferred" media sources, so it wouldn't make sense to leak this publicly and give Ice Land USA additional contract leverage.

The rink is used very heavily, so closure would be a loss to the community.
However, given our eroding tax base, the city really can't afford to take back operations of the rink.

Firstly, Summers and Butler haven't a clue how to "negotiate" anything in the public interest--Remember, in September 2015, Butler publicly announced that we had no rights against the Clinic so we had to negotiate with them. He then negotiated backwards from the crappy deal Summers made (with 2 CCF trustees on his Secret Step 2 Committee know every detail of his "negotiating position." Duh!

Secondly, if it is heavily used and losing money, it proves what many have written here on the Deck---City owned recreation facilities are a drain on the taxpayers. Several of us fighting the hospital closure suggested the Winterhurst site for CCF's FHC---it would have been perfect for them with easy access to I-90 in either direction---But CCF wanted the hospital facility torn down because they knew a competitor would surely move in an use it.

So I suggest that Lakewood give Metro the same deal for Wiinterhurst that they gave CCF for the southwest corner of Belle. Namely, give Metro $3.1M to tear it down; give Metro $2.5M to build Metro a parking garage on it; and then sell Metro the land for $1.6M. At least Metro would actually take care of our people, including "those people."

I'm sorry to say that the loss of the skating rink will be just be just one of a series of negative things to come in Lakewood as a result of financial woes caused by City Hall's stupidity.

[mjkuhns]

Unlike the hospital, the rink has been a money loser for the city at least as far back as the 1990s. […]
However, given our eroding tax base, the city really can't afford to take back operations of the rink.

I would be interested in more details of the finances, here. It may be that I'm massively underestimating the expense of running an ice rink.

Overall, so far as I know our city runs lots of programs that are "money losers," though. I would presume that most city services and departments fit that description. And if an ice rink is a luxury, I think there are a number of other expenses on the books which are also less than strictly necessary; if things have reached the point where the luxuries can't all be paid for, I think all options should be examined in a comprehensive conversation.

[Michael Deneen]

"We took the mayor's word on it, which we often do," said Council President Kevin Butler. "There's no reason to disbelieve him on it."

This quote beautifully captures what has gone wrong with this city.

Over the past ten years our City Council has blindly followed the mayor.....and voters blindly followed council.
Noone questions anything, no one thinks analytically.
It's a cult of personality.

[Brian Essi]

"We took the mayor's word on it, which we often do," said Council President Kevin Butler. "There's no reason to disbelieve him on it."

This quote beautifully captures what has gone wrong with this city.

Over the past ten years our City Council has blindly followed the mayor.....and voters blindly followed council.
Noone questions anything, no one thinks analytically.
It's a cult of personality.

Indeed! Even law enforcement may have been too trusting.

I am told by a reliable source that Fitz lied to the FBI too when he told them he really didn't speak to Big Daddy. It is truly ironic that so many believed Fitz was going to clean up The Cuyahoga County Swamp and he was just another snake.

[Bridget Conant]

Yeah, and GREAT NEWS!

That snake has slithered himself into the redevelopment of the hospital site.

I'd be wary of anything with the stink of Fitzgerald involved.

[Bridget Conant]

People forget Ed Fitzgerald was PO 14 in the federal corruption probe.


http://www.thirdbasepolitics.com/ohios- ... orruption/

[cmager]

Secondly, if it is heavily used and losing money, it proves what many have written here on the Deck---City owned recreation facilities are a drain on the taxpayers.

Come on...then city parks are clearly a yuge drain on city finances. Develop them all! When did we agree that the City is supposed to operate things only at a paper profit?

IF the books are accurate, it only proves that THIS city administration cannot properly manage operations or contracts, or has another motive. And if it's "heavily used" it sounds like many with any business sense could correct an imbalance. Given recent history, this more likely is another step in decanting Winterhurst.

[Stan Austin]

Adequate floor space and parking for a pet food store

[Lori Allen _]

From what I gather, the original plan was to take homes on Belle & St. Charles between Detroit and Franklin, level them down, and put a soccer field there.

Apparently, that deal has been put on the back burner, as Mr. Summers appears to have found something that suits him and his friends better.

Can anyone confirm whether William Neiheiser still owns or otherwise has a stake in Winterhurst or Ice Land USA? He is still listed as the sole incorporator of Ice Land USA. If so, it seems that our city officials keep similar, close company.
See http://blog.cleveland.com/pdextra/2010/ ... eiser.html

Of course, Ward 3 Councilman John D. Litten is President of Winterhurst Hockey Association. Why has Mr. Litten been permitted to escape scrutiny?

[Kate McCarthy]

Come on...then city parks are clearly a yuge drain on city finances. Develop them all! When did we agree that the City is supposed to operate things only at a paper profit?

IF the books are accurate, it only proves that THIS city administration cannot properly manage operations or contracts, or has another motive. And if it's "heavily used" it sounds like many with any business sense could correct an imbalance. Given recent history, this more likely is another step in decanting Winterhurst.

Exactly. How revenue neutral are the solstice steps? You can argue they bring in people who spend money in Lakewood but that can be said for Winterhurst as well. How revenue neutral are the new Futsal Courts? And any transformation of the Winterhurst facility would involve huge costs up front and on going maintenance.

People need to be reminded that we own Winterhurst, it is not a private enterprise but was leased to one...just like the hospital. If every amenity in our town needs to be judged on the business profit metric, we need to start dumping a whole lot of stuff starting with the library. It just lends people stuff, for free, how ridiculous is that?

[Michael Deneen]

Come on...then city parks are clearly a yuge drain on city finances. Develop them all! When did we agree that the City is supposed to operate things only at a paper profit?

A friendly reminder....an ice rink is not like a normal park.
Why?

The ice needs to be kept frozen and that entire "field house" cool at all times. The ice needs to be constantly maintained with the Zambonis and other equipment.
Think about how much your electric bill is.....for a typical home, AC, freezers and refrigerators comprise the largest share of consumption. That's why we have power outages during heat waves.
It's not like a basketball court or dog park, which are outdoors and pretty much just sit there.
Unlike the pools, these costs are 24 hours, 52 weeks a year...there is no "offseason".

Plus, there are inherent costs to maintaining any large building....electrical, plumbing, roofing, etc. And a building needs to staffed at all times, unlike a park such as Edwards.
These costs of operation are what make rec centers such a disaster for many cities.....and why it was a horrible idea for this one.

[Kate McCarthy]

Plus, there are inherent costs to maintaining any large building....electrical, plumbing, roofing, etc. And a building needs to staffed at all times, unlike a park such as Edwards.
These costs of operation are what make rec centers such a disaster for many cities.....and why it was a horrible idea for this one.

Yes...and what the mayor is hinting at is the building will be maintained as an indoor venue, but an indoor venue that would cost lots to transform.

Buildings can gain revenue because they can control admission. It's a different model from parks but if they need so be subsidized to a degree, how is that different from an open air park or court that is completely subsidized by tax payers?