Lakewood outlines roughly $8M plan to renovate Winterhurst Ice Arena; programming growing

City staff gave Lakewood City Council and the finance committee a detailed update July 21 on planned capital investments at Winterhurst Ice Arena, describing a multiyear, phased program of mechanical upgrades, locker-room and spectator improvements, programming expansion and site upgrades estimated to total roughly $8 million over coming years.

Assistant Director (planning/parks) Russ Boss presented a timeline and budget that begins with earlier work completed in 2023 (reopening work and an ice-plant/mechanical replacement) and moves into a 2025–2026 slate of construction: a locker-room addition to provide more and modern changing rooms, new ADA-accessible spectator stands, an indoor off-ice training/turf area, upgraded scoreboards (paid by NOPEC), and repairs to a concrete frost-heaving problem in a service corridor that damaged rink boards. The city also described a planned HVAC replacement and potential metal-roof work that would move forward after the next budget cycle and additional engineering work.

Key elements and immediate costs reported at the meeting:

- Locker room / rink renovation and spectator stands: the general-contractor package for that phase is about $2.1 million. The design creates eight full locker rooms (each with toilet and showers), a separate Lakewood High School locker room, referee facilities, four fire‑rated storage rooms under the stands and an elevator to make the mezzanine accessible. A second-floor sports‑medicine/fitness/turf warm‑up area of roughly 5,500 square feet is included in the plan.

- Ice plant and mechanical replacement: completed in prior phases; earlier work added about $2.1 million to capital spending.

- Short-term repairs and upgrades this year: remediation of a frost‑heave/flooding problem in the service trench adjacent to the ice plant; new high‑definition LED video scoreboards funded by NOPEC; replacement of benches and other building maintenance items.

- HVAC replacement and metal roof work: Assistant Director Boss described the HVAC equipment as aging (some units approaching 30–50 years), with long lead times for replacement; an initial planning and cost estimate is being developed for the 2026 budget cycle. Roof work is under consideration in subsequent years.

Programming and operations: Lakewood Community Ice (LCI), the city-contracted operator, reported rapidly expanding programming, including a full contracted learn‑to‑skate program, expanded summer sessions, a “mini monsters” youth hockey program run with the Cleveland Monsters that exceeded participation expectations, and restored public‑open‑skate hours and other drop‑in opportunities. The operator provided a profit-and-loss snapshot showing Winterhurst returned to profitability after pandemic-related and mechanical shutdowns, and noted the facility maintains an operating reserve managed jointly by LCI and the city.

Public comments and council discussion focused on neighborhood outreach, ensuring strong resident access to programs, and equity of access for Lakewood residents. Council members asked about resident vs. nonresident participation and the city’s ability to track ZIP code data at point of sale; staff said registration systems can provide some of those breakdowns for programs, and the mini‑monsters program had included scholarships and equipment distribution to lower economic barriers.

Finance committee action: The finance committee recommended city council adopt the proposed third‑quarter transfers ordinance that provides funding consistent with the FY2025 budget (transfers of existing budgeted dollars to Winterhurst and other funds). The transfers ordinance was then adopted by the full council.

Why it matters: Winterhurst is a high‑use regional facility. The work is intended to improve visitor experience, ADA access, and the arena’s long‑term mechanical reliability. Assistant Director Boss said the investment aims to position Winterhurst as a “premier rink” in the Cleveland region while keeping year‑round public programming intact during phased construction.

Next steps: Construction is phased so the facility can continue to operate. Temporary seating and locker rooms will be used while crews build the permanent addition; work on the new stands is expected to occur during the winter season and be complete the following summer. Staff will return with design details and budget requests for the HVAC work in the 2026 budget cycle.

Ending: Councilmembers praised the operator and staff for growing programming and pledged to keep coordinating outreach to ensure Lakewood residents benefit from the expanded offerings.