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Lakeville Arenas reports record ice sales, cites utility costs and program expansions
Summary
Joe Burke told the Lakeville Public School District board that arena revenues have roughly doubled since 2019 as ice hours, camps and tournaments grew; he cautioned that rising utility costs prompted an amended arena budget and said the pavilion rink needed operational fixes after year-one wind and sun issues.
Joe Burke, a guest representing Lakeville Arenas, told the Lakeville Public School District board on June 9 that the arenas posted another strong year, with ice-hour sales and new programming driving revenue growth.
“A record year in ice sales…we actually doubled our revenue since I started in 2020,” Burke said, noting the arena sold more than 6,600 ice sessions and hosted multiple tournaments, including regional and state events. He highlighted new summer programming, inaugural camps, a first figure-skating competition and expanded off-season events as sources of diversified income.
Why it matters: The arenas operate under a joint powers agreement with the district and the city and rely on earned revenue rather than ongoing public operating subsidies. The board heard that diversifying revenue—through camps, memberships and higher concession goals—reduces the facility’s reliance on ice rentals and protects district stakeholders from future rate shocks.
Burke also described the pavilion rink’s second-year upgrades in response to operational problems. “We had trouble making and keeping ice in the beginning…sun melts ice more so than I thought,” he said. The arenas installed stretched sunscreens, completed locker rooms, added bench heaters and placed footings for permanent walls to address sun and wind exposure.
On finances, Burke told the board that higher electric and utility costs have required an amended arena budget included in the meeting packet; he added that the arenas have not used tax funds to operate in their history. “We are in good shape to meet [the budget], but electric and some of the utilities are way up,” he said.
Board members asked how the district’s teams and residents are affected. Burke described a tiered fee schedule (prime winter and summer rates; an after-10 p.m. premium) and said the arenas provide scheduling priority to district teams. He said local associations at times requested rate increases to help fund pavilion amenities; the arena board implemented phased increases (a 3.5% increase was characterized as the current year’s user-fee change). Burke emphasized the balance between keeping resident costs reasonable and the commercial realities of competing arenas.
Next steps: Burke invited board comment on the amended budget and said the arenas’ board would take feedback before adopting the final fiscal plan. The district board offered praise for the arenas’ work and thanked Burke for the report.
