Renovated ice arena reopens after delay
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. >> After a major reconstruction project that ran several months behind schedule, the Kiwanis Ice Arena has reopened.
“We appreciate everyone’s patience and understand[ing] during the delayed construction,” Greg Chorvas, the parks and recreation superintendent for the town of Saugerties, said in a prepared statement. “The building is complete, fully insulated, and there are additional and new amenities soon to come.”
Events this week in the renovated arena — which is at 6 Small World Ave., just north of the Cantine Field sports complex — will include expanded public skating sessions, along with the Sticks & Pucks and drop-in hockey programs.
Chorvas said in an email Tuesday that even though the work was completed later than planned, it still came in under the $1.3 million budget, though he did not say by how much.
About $400,000 of the project’s cost was covered by the state Dormitory Authority.
The renovation originally was to be completed in September, in time for the start of the 2019-20 hockey and figure skating programs in the building. But the work didn’t start until Oct. 9 due to
issues with contractor Legacy Building Solutions, of South Haven, Minn., Chorvas wrote in a letter to the Freeman later that month.
He said Tuesday that Legacy, which submitted the lower of two bids for the work, was “assessed a perday penalty, past their substantial completion date, in accordance with bid specifications.”
Chorvas said previously that the old fabric-domed structure would not have survived another year. The Saugerties Town Board approved the upgrade project by a 4-0 vote in June of this year.
Town Supervisor Fred Costello said at the time the steel walls included in the renovation would make
the building less expensive to heat.
“That’s an improvement over what we have now,” Costello said.
Legacy Building Solutions issued a report in 2018 about the 18-year-old arena that said the roof was deteriorating at an “accelerated rate” because UV protective coating in the fabric had exceeded its life expectancy. The company also said there was “some weld failure up near the peak on the gable end.”
The arena will be closed Wednesday for Christmas. What follows is the building’s schedule for the following seven days.
Thursday will feature public skating from 6:30 to 8 a.m., 8:15 to 10 a.m., 10:15 to 11:45 a.m., noon to 1:30 p.m., and 1:45 to 3:15 p.m. Stick & Pucks will be from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.
Friday’s schedule includes drop-in hockey from 8:15 to 10 a.m., then public skating from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m., noon to 1:30 p.m., 1:45 to 3:15 p.m., and 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.
Saturday’s skating hours are 2:45 to 4:15 p.m. and then 4:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday’s hours are 3:15 to 4:45 p.m.
The Monday, Dec. 30,
schedule includes drop-in hockey from 8:15 to 10 a.m., then public skating from 10:15 to 11:45 .a.m., noon to 1:30 p.m., 1:45 to 3:15 p.m., and 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.
On New Year’s Eve, there will be public skating from 6:30 to 8 a.m., 8:15 to 10 a.m., 10:15 to 11:45 a.m., noon to 1:30 p.m., and 1:45 to 3:15 p.m. There also will be a Sticks & Pucks session from 3:30 to 6 p.m. and public skating from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
On New Year’s Day, there will be public skating from noon to 1:30 p.m. and from 1:45 to 3:15 p.m.
The cost for public skating is $7 for adults, $5 for students through 12th grade, and free for children age 5 and under.
For more information, call (845) 247-2590, ext. 302, go to www.kiwanisicearena.com or email rkleemann@saugerties.ny.us.