The BOR ice arena in Barre, Vt., will not open its doors this winter for the first time in more than 50 years, after city officials announced that the “half-century-old equipment” has given out.
According to WCAX, BOR was built in the 1970s with equipment that had a lifespan of 20 to 25 years. That equipment, including the rink’s cooling system, is no longer functional. During recent testing, several leaks were discovered. Barre’s city manager Patrick Cushing estimates that fixing the floor would cost $2 million, so city leaders must weigh their options: repair BOR or build a new facility.
“The rink gave us twice the expected life that it had,” Cushing said. “At some level of funding, it’s likely going to be on the backs of taxpayers. And so, if they don’t want it, then it’s irresponsible to do it. I would be surprised if this community said no, but they need to be asked.”
Without the BOR Arena, local teams must travel to nearby cities to share ice time, which coaches claim will become increasingly tedious as the hockey season ramps up.
“I just hope that something can honestly happen fairly quickly... because I hate to think about all the little kids that will miss out on the memories that me and my teammates got growing up,” Ashley Thygesen, local skating coach, said. Thygesen previously coached youth hockey at BOR Arena.
The 21,000-square-foot arena is converted between turf and ice each year, with groups able to reserve the facility for turf-based sports — soccer and lacrosse — from March to October and ice-based sports from November to March. It has heated bleacher seating for approximately 800 people, and previously hosted open skates, youth competitions, and other on-ice performances.
“Growing up, the BOR honestly felt like a second home,” said Thygesen.
