One Ramsey County ice arena may be closed

Construction of a new ice arena in Vadnais Heights is unleashing a chain reaction that might leave another ice arena in Ramsey County out in the cold.

A county-owned arena in White Bear Lake will lose much of its current business when Vadnais Heights opens its arena in November, said Greg Mack, the county's parks and recreation director. Increased competition for a dwindling customer base is forcing Ramsey County to look for customers in neighboring Washington County, he told commissioners during a workshop last week.

In addition, the cost of playing hockey coupled with growing interest in other sports also is contributing to sagging business at some arenas, Mack said.

"The market is changing and it has been changing for a number of years," he said.

Most commissioners agreed that one of the county's 10 ice arenas should close if current trends continue. Total hours rented fell by nearly 800 last year from 2008, and Mack said the trend will continue.

However, no vote was taken and it wasn't decided which arena might close. A likely candidate is the Biff Adams Arena that is struggling to find tenants.

Mack's mention of that arena, in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul, drew an emotional outburst from Commissioner Janice Rettman, who told him that children in Frogtown don't have the economic means to travel to Vadnais Heights. She said the county was moving away from serving children in central neighborhoods. "Here's what I'm hearing. We're going to keep places open by bringing in groups from outside the neighborhood."

The Vadnais Heights project isn't a county-owned arena but instead will be managed by Community Facilities Partners, a nonprofit organization. Amenities such as restaurants and a sports field complex will draw customers away from older arenas, commissioners said.

Hockey groups will shift from the county- and city-owned arenas in White Bear Lake. "They've basically built the Vadnais Heights arena on the backs of those arenas," Mack said.

Ramsey County projects $2.2 million in gross revenue at its arenas in the fiscal year through September. Pleasant Arena and Highland Arena, both in St. Paul, are currently the two biggest draws.

Mack said it's difficult to rank arenas because usage changes as high schools shift locations, programs merge and more schools drop hockey programs. Biff Adams is hurting because two youth hockey associations merged and relocated to another arena and because St. Bernard's High School in St. Paul is closing, he said. In addition, Como High School moved its hockey program to the Coliseum on the State Fairgrounds.