Ice Arena to Remain Open While Repair Funding Debated

KETTERING - The ice arena at the Kettering Recreation Center will remain open after the city spent more than a year studying the future of the arena and surveying residents.

Mary Beth Thaman, director of the parks, recreation and cultural arts department at the city of Kettering, said the city came to the decision after the survey, study and other community input sessions held throughout the last year.

"The study clearly came out from the community and our region that we needed to keep the ice arena. Not necessarily for just hockey, but for skating and general use," Thaman said.

Regular skater Shane Morrissey said he hopes the ice arena never closes.

"I just love skating; I've been doing it since I was two, and it just feels great," Morrissey said, who's there multiple times a week. "I would never want this place ever to close."

Thaman said the city is still working to determine how capital money will be allocated to help make needed repairs to the arena.

Last January, city officials said the 25,000 square-foot facility needs $6 million to $7 million in upgrades to bring it up to code and compliant with newer EPA standards.

"If you're going to invest that kind of capital dollars, you certainly want it to be a sustainable model," Thaman said last year.

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