Residents Needed To Help Decide Future Of Winterhurst Arena

LAKEWOOD, OH — Lakewood City Council is forming a citizens committee to evaluate the future of the Winterhurst Ice Rink facility. The city announced in mid-August that current tenant, Ice Land USA, may not renew its lease in 2018.

Mayor Mike Summers told Patch in August the city would want to form a committee to explore how residents felt about Winterhurst. Summers also implied the committee would be tasked in helping determine the future of the facility.

Experience as a skater, hockey player or coach, or other involvement in an ice rink will be considered a plus for applicants. (Subscribe to the Patch Lakewood newsletter for local news and updates.)

Those that want to serve on the committee should call Lakewood Clerk of Council Mary Hagan at 216-529-6053 or submit an email to mary.hagan@lakewoodoh.net.

Ice Land is currently paying the city about $75,000 a year to use the arena. Summers said the company is competing against ice rinks that are being subsidized by other cities, making the playing field uneven and turning a profit difficult.

"The question is what is the importance of the ice to our community. What are we willing to pay to subsidize it? Maybe nothing, maybe a lot," Summers told Patch in August.

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch