MORGANTOWN — Two dozen or so members of the Morgantown ice hockey community showed up to BOPARC’s regular board meeting at the Marilla Center on Wednesday primed to once again make their voices heard regarding plans to cancel the Morgantown Ice Arena’s 2023 season to accommodate an extensive renovation project.
Turns out it wasn’t necessary. They’d already been heard loud and clear.
BOPARC Executive Director Melissa Wiles opened the meeting with a statement explaining that in response to “strong opposition” from user groups and after consultation with project administrator Mills Group, an alternative construction plan was created that will allow for a shortened, five-month ice season running from Oct. 1 to March 1, 2024.
The board unanimously approved the change.
As was previously reported, the original plan was to close the rink following the March 26 close of the season and reopen it fully renovated in August 2024. While BOPARC had always maintained a desire to keep the facility open through construction, Mills Group advised extensive lead times on central components was going to make that all but impossible.
News of the impending temporary closure went public over New Year’s weekend. The crowd that showed up at Morgantown City Council’s Jan. 3 meeting could have filled a room twice the size of the 40-seat meeting chamber.
It was noted on multiple occasions Wednesday that there’s been a lot of work taking place behind the scenes since last week’s council meeting.
“I really want to say thank you to everybody. It’s been a very productive week; probably a little bit of some anxiety on all sides, but I think this is a good example of what can happen when the community gets together and we all voice our concerns in a productive way. People hear, they listen, they respond and they go to work,” Matthew Nelson said during the meeting’s public portion.
“I think this is a fantastic solution. It probably saves Morgantown Hockey [Association] and your user groups … If we’d not been able to keep the ice open next year, we really wouldn’t have had a need for ice at all.”
In order to adhere to this amended timeline, portions of the project including a new chilled rink slab, under slab piping and dasher boards will need to be in place before Oct. 1. Further, the new chiller system, the item projected to have the longest delivery time, will be pulled out of the general project bid and bid separately.
BOPARC member Amel Morris said the compromise would not have come about without the concern shown by the community and the efforts of Wiles, BOPARC President Danielle Trumble and a number of others.
“There’s no one here who doesn’t want to see hockey in Morgantown,” he said.
