Wow....$400,000 to design the project that might never be. Would be bad to go look at other newer "government ran" hockey rinks and just say build us that? I'm assuming as long hockey is played the same at each arena ice is ice. Right? You could put the $400,000 into building materials.The Town of Tonawanda could take the first step toward replacing the Brighton Arena hockey rink with a brand-new, world-class rink when the board votes Monday night on a $400,000 proposal to hire an architectural firm to design the project.
We could assume any newer build is following code, basic hockey regulations and has ongoing running cost.
Vintage property. Why would you want to change the charm of the buildings?Councilman Daniel Crangle said the town's two rinks, Brighton Arena and Lincoln Arena, are each about 60 years old.
I read that and I see DOLLAR signs. I also see patronage jobs for friends and family. What would be wrong with using what's there until it's unusable and getting out of the rink business? Let people who want to play hockey go to privately owned rinks. IF there's a need a private company can build a rink.He said the Department of Youth, Parks and Recreation would like to demolish Brighton Pool and its wading pool and build a regulation ice rink with concessions, locker rooms, shower facilities and seating areas next to Brighton Arena. Demolition of the existing arena is currently not part of the plan, according to Crangle, who said they are still investigating how to utilize the two adjacent arenas if a new rink is built.
9 million over how many years? I bet there is a junk of interest over that time.He said the cost to build a new Brighton Arena will be borne by taxpayers and the town would need to bond $8 million for the project.
If this is true get all the money upfront and accounted for. NO bs and say it's on the way let us get the project started. Get it deposited in the bank."There's no state funding, but we will be seeking funding from state leaders to offset the cost," said Crangle.
Why can't the sell naming right to the current rink?Crangle said one reason Brighton was chosen for the new rink over Lincoln Arena was its proximity to the I-290, which will allow the town to sell the naming rights to the arena. He said they already have received several offers. A traffic study done in 2013 found that 107,000 cars drive by, east and west, every day.
Exactly how many are hundreds and exactly how many use the current rink. Why do I ask this? To see if there is any justification with spending millions of dollars of people's hard earn cash and paying interest on it for a very long time.Nine months ago hundreds of hockey players, coaches and families made their plea to the board to update town hockey facilities. They told the board that they were taking their children to newer facilities, such as the Northtown Center at Amherst. Organizations are paying ten of thousands of dollars to rent ice time at places such as Hyde Park Arena in Niagara Falls, rather than playing in an outdated arena in their own backyard, said Crangle.
Was it 1100 actual hockey players with 2 parents each, grand parents and 1 couch per possible team? Before you know it you have 100's of people pushing to spend other people's money so they don't have to go to Northtown Center.
Ten's of thousands of dollars? Why should property owners in Tonawanda off set the cost of playing hockey?
So what? Why should 1100 hockey players have the property owners cover the building cost and ongoing running cost?There are 1,114 registered hockey players in the Town of Tonawanda, said Crangle, but more than half – 668 – play outside the town.
So? What is wrong with that?"A lot of this is the condition of the rinks," said Crangle. "They are playing in regulation-sized, newer rinks that are upgraded and we haven't upgraded our rinks. They have to go outside the town for federation hockey games."
But other rinks are doing that. Why pull that business away from them or actual privately owned rinks?He said Brighton is only open five months a year, but with a new arena they could extend the ice time to 10 months a year and could rent out the ice to local organizations. In the two months of down time, in June and July, the arena could be used for roller skating, inline hockey, volleyball and other sports as well as for camps, clinics and birthday parties.