CREVE COEUR, Mo. — The future of a busy ice rink in Creve Coeur is up in the air as it needs millions of dollars in repairs.
But the ice sports community is coming together to make sure Creve Coeur Ice Arena stays open.
For Eric Seidler and his two sons, Creve Coeur Ice Arena is their home rink where they spend hours at hockey practice. He says it’d be really tough on them if it closed.
“We’d be heartbroken. I mean this place has been around since before I could skate. So it definitely is a concern for us. We’re worried about it. You know, it’s been nice in St. Louis that we’ve seen additional rinks be built but this one’s been here from the beginning,” Seidler said.
The rink has been around since the 70s and it has been home to the St. Louis Curling Club for the last 10 years, which has helped them grow the sport.
“We have over 180 members now, so yeah, it’s a great facility and it’s very important for us,” Dan Sovar with the St. Louis Curling Club said.
The City of Creve Coeur said it’s going to cost more than $2 million to make necessary repairs to the ice refrigeration system.
For figure skaters, hockey players and curlers, a closure would be difficult as ice time in the St. Louis area is already hard to come by.
“It’s very difficult for us to get other ice times for other arenas,” Sovar said.
“You know when I was young it just wasn’t available. The hockey programs weren’t as strong and there wasn’t as many as there are now and I think it’s really important to grow the sport,” Seidler said.
People who love Creve Coeur Ice Arena are doing everything they can to make sure these doors stay open.
“We participated in their surveys. We participated in their open meetings you know obviously we get good league turnout,” Sovar said.
Creve Coeurs City Administrator Mark Perkins said the city council wants to move forward with repairs and are committed to it but they’re not sure where the funds are going to come from yet.
Seidler says it’s places like Creve Coeur Ice Arena that tie the ice sports community together.
“It’s the fabric of St. Louis. I think the Blues have a major impact on youth hockey here as well and this is really a hockey and a baseball town and it would be sad to lose this rink for sure,” Seidler said.
Perkins said they are exploring the idea of sponsors to help pay for repairs.