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Families, skating clubs urge Albpharetta to help keep The Cooler ice rink open amid owner’s plan to add pickleball
Summary
Dozens of residents, coaches and parents urged Alpharetta’s elected officials on Feb. 24 to help preserve The Cooler, the city’s only downtown ice rink, after the rink’s owner proposed converting ice sheets to pickleball courts, a move speakers said would displace youth hockey and figure‑skating programs.
Scores of residents, parents and coaches addressed the Alpharetta City Council on Feb. 24 to urge city help preserving The Cooler, a privately owned ice rink in Alpharetta, after the rink’s owner signaled plans to convert ice sheets to pickleball courts.
Speakers — including parents, a long‑time coach and board members of Atlanta Fire Hockey Club and the Atlanta Figure Skating Club — recounted decades of local ice programming, regional competition and youth development tied to the rink. The comments stressed the rink’s role in youth hockey tryouts, figure‑skating training and developmental programs and raised concerns about the loss of the only Alpharetta ice facility.
"For 28 years, the Cooler has served as the home to the Atlanta Fire Hockey Club," said Natasha Carey, a board member for Atlanta Fire Hockey Club, noting the program fields travel teams and has produced nationally competitive squads. Carey said an online petition opposing the conversion had gathered thousands of signatures in days and asked the city to explore options to preserve ice availability through August to cover tryouts and the upcoming season.
"This is a time for expansion, not reduction of ice sports facilities," Carey said. Michelle Schreier, another parent, told council that public skate and youth programs fill the rink regularly and that closing one of Alpharetta’s two ice sheets would reduce regional ice availability by about 28 percent. Coach Joshua Schafer, who said he has coached at The Cooler for a decade, urged the council to consider facilitating a temporary rink at Union Hill or other municipal options and said youth hockey generates hotel and tournament revenue for the city.
Council members said they had received many emails and social‑media messages on the subject and expressed sympathy for the ice community but said city authority is limited because the rink is privately owned. Mayor noted the council’s interest and asked skating‑community representatives to meet with city staff and the city administrator to discuss realistic options and possible sites. The mayor suggested staff follow up with the developer/owner and the community to explore feasible interim or long‑term solutions.
No action was taken at the hearing; speakers asked only that the owner consider delaying any conversion for a short period to allow the community and potential partners time to plan a replacement facility and to allow time for an NHL expansion decision that proponents said could benefit from continued local ice capacity.
Why it matters: The Cooler hosts youth hockey, adult leagues and figure‑skating programs that draw participants from Alpharetta and the wider Atlanta region. Community speakers said the rink fuels year‑round recreation, tournament hotel demand and regional sports development; its loss would reduce local access to ice sports and complicate plans for growth in hockey and skating.
What’s next: Council asked community representatives to meet with city staff and the city administrator; the city will not compel or block private redevelopment but said it will explore realistic municipal or partnership options if the community brings viable proposals.
