A second ice rink adjacent to Falleti Ice Arena might make Batavia a more attractive location for hockey tournaments but rather than just build it and see if they will come, the City Council is poised to approve hiring a consultant to do a feasibility study.
The cost of the study is $55,000, with $50,000 covered by a Community Development Block Grant approved specifically for this purpose and $5,000 (the 10-percent match requirement of the grant) coming from private donations.
Public Works Director Matt Worth said the study will look at whether a second rink really would be a draw and also whether the addition to Falleti should be a multi-purpose facility so it could be used for other sporting events such as indoor soccer in the winter.
A feasibility study would balance the cost of the addition against the potential economic impact of an upgraded facility.
Worth said the study should be completed by the end of the year.
I wish the current arena was
I wish the current arena was able to handle other sports like soccer or lacrosse during the winter. I'm in a winter soccer league that's forced to go to Rochester because there's not an indoor soccer field, and I've heard of other people who also travel to the cities because Batavia doesn't offer much in terms of available space to have these events and organizations.
If the decision to build a second arena passes, then I hope that they make it a multi-purpose facility. Build it now to be utilized for multiple events rather than just skating rather than deciding in 10 years pour more money into remodeling. It'd be great for Batavia to be able to offer more spaces for more events, such as indoor winter sports.
What about the new indoor
What about the new indoor complex at GCC for winter soccer. I heard it’s largely unused. The reason for additional space at Falleti’s is to provide additional ice for hockey. The revenue additional ice can bring in for tournaments is huge. Not also county economic boost to local businesses. The current space is cramped and outdated. Some of the young kids have early or late ice times due to no space which interferes with school. I’m not against soccer, but not during hockey season.