MORGANTOWN, W.Va. The Morgantown Ice Arena is open for business and will be available for all activities for the 2023–24 season. Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners (BOPARC) President and Fifth Ward Morgantown City Council member, Danielle Trumble, and President of the Morgantown Hockey Association (MHA), Frank Oliverio, shared short- and long-term plans on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”
According to Trumble, the ice is down, there are no immediate issues, and the Morgantown Ice Arena is ready for skaters.
Omni Architects is under contract to evaluate the entire structure, including a test of the system that partially chills the concrete base the ice sits on. A new roof is coming in the future to be paid for with grant funds, but the complete scope of work will be determined by the final report from Omni Architects.
“The results of that testing will dictate what type of work needs to be done in the future,” Trumble said. “We have a contract with Omni; they’re doing a building assessment and an ice assessment, and from there we’ll see what has to be done.”
About six years ago, design and planning for renovations of the Morgantown Ice Arena began. As that process continued, the pandemic hit, causing supply chain issues that would have required BOPARC to close the facility for an entire season due to the expected delays.
Members of the groups using the facility, like the Morgantown Hockey Association, urged BOPARC to abandon the idea of renovation because the facility did not meet current standards. The groups argued a new facility could be built for as little as $11 to $13 million, not the renovation bid price of $15 million.
Weeks later, when a single bid of nearly $15 million was rejected by BOPARC, the team at Mylan Park joined the effort. The group including BOPARC, Mylan Park, MHA and community stakeholders has continued regular meetings with the goal of building a facility for hockey leagues and tournaments.
“We’ve opened up lines of communication that have been closed down for a long time, I think, so we’re working together and having the meetings,” Trumble said. “I think an important thing they have learned through this process is that you can’t get a rink for $5 million; they are expensive.”
The design limitations and age of the Morgantown Ice Arena then moved the group to consider another facility. The new facility would be predominantly used for hockey practice and tournaments, while the White Park facility could be used for all other recreational skating programs.
“We’ve also started to realize, as I think BOPARC has, that this is not a structure that’s going to be around for the next 100 years,” Oliverio said. “So, let’s figure out if there’s a possibility for another sheet of ice in the community.”
Oilverio said in 2014 that a study said use levels justified a second ice rink for the community, and as the community has grown, so has interest in hockey, curling, figure skating, and just learning to skate.
“So, I think BOPARC and the Morgantown Hockey Association can work together and hopefully, in conjunction, be able to support two sheets of ice along with all the members of the community,” Oliverio said.
The new facility could cost around $15 million, and would be suitable for holding additional events and tournaments. Some members of the project planning team include Matthew Nelson, Cory L. Kourtsis from Commercial Builders, Jamie Ridgeway from March-Westin, Todd Gookin with WVU Hockey, and representatives from USA Hockey.
“We’ve come a long way, and I’m very comfortable that we’re going to have a new rink somewhere in Monongalia County within the next two years,” Oliverio said. “I don’t think next year, as far as next season, but maybe halfway through—who knows?”
Including MHA travel teams, the facility would support the current 10 hockey teams, ranging from high school to WVU club teams, and is tentatively planned to be located in Mylan Park.