BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — Four years ago, officials at the David S. Palmer Arena conducted a survey to gain more insight into the public’s use of the arena.
The survey worried Danville Youth Hockey and other ice program supporters that the ice might be removed.
Nearly 85 percent, 520 survey respondents, said they wanted the arena to continue its ice program.
Concerns again have resurfaced after arena general manager Peter Blackmon made comments on the radio about an energy study being conducted and the potential the ice could be removed due to costs.
There’s also a Facebook page on the Internet called “Keep the ice at the Palmer Arena.”
“Folks are concerned and are showing their support for the ice,” said Mike Smith, president of Danville Youth Hockey and assistant coach for the Danville Inferno hockey team.
Blackmon said there has not been a decision to get rid of the ice, nor is he sure there will be an arena board vote in the near future. He’s waiting for more specific electrical and heating cost numbers relating to the ice equipment.
The arena has ice about eight months a year.
“The ice machinery is old,” Blackmon said referring to the approximately 30-year-old equipment.
“The reality is if the machinery stopped working tomorrow, we have no money to fix it,” Blackmon said. “So, every day, there is the possibility of no more ice.”
But this view doesn’t help the groups who rely on the ice being there.
Those who use it include: Danville Youth Hockey, Danville Inferno, Danville Figure Skating Club, Champaign-Urbana Youth Hockey, Eastern Illinois University and other skating groups.
Only the Inferno has a five-year contract in place (the team is in its second year). But there is an exit clause. The other contracts are completed annually.
“It’s hard for organizations to make plans and try to plan for future growth or activities when we don’t know if anything will be available for us,” Smith said.
Danville Youth Hockey involves about 60 families, with children ages 5 to seniors in high school.
“If the ice leaves Danville, Danville Youth Hockey and other (local groups) would be eliminated,” Smith said.
He said ice time at the University of Illinois is not available. Families would have to travel to Decatur or Bloomington, for example, to continue with hockey programs.
The ice here also brings in tourism dollars, Smith pointed out. A recent youth hockey tournament brought in other teams from Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana.
“They spent money at restaurants and hotels …,” he said.
Smith said the ice also is available for the community to learn to or practice their ice skating.
“To me, it is a quality of life thing. It’s one of the few good, clean, family fun activities (in Danville),” he said.
Mayor Scott Eisenhauer agrees. He also would hate to see the entire arena close.
That’s why he’s continued to support 4 percent of the city’s hotel/motel tax going to the arena.
“It is a very valuable facility …,” Eisenhauer said.
Arena budget
The arena has no reserve funding, and it hasn’t received $850,000 in capital funding expected from the state.
Other projects needing funding: finish roof repairs to fix leaks and possibly going geothermal for heating and air-conditioning. The arena still is paying on past roof repairs.
Of its annual $1 million budget, $443,000 comes from the city’s hotel/motel tax and liquor tax.
The ice brought in about $56,000 last fiscal year. The arena’s utility costs last year were $160,626.
But Blackmon doesn’t know whether the ice income equals the energy consumption and expense for the ice.
“We don’t know whether it meets it or not,” he said.
That’s why an energy study is being conducted.
He’s waiting to receive information from Stevens Engineering out of Minnesota for electrical costs regarding the ice machinery, and heating costs from BMIL of North Carolina.
This is a free, Phase 1 study, Blackmon said. The arena could hire them for additional services.
“It’s all preliminary,” Blackmon said. “All we want to do is better understand (energy costs).”
Smith would like to see more of an independent survey, instead of companies that sell equipment and services to arenas.
The rest of the arena’s annual funding comes from concessions, rentals and advertising, Blackmon said.
There have been issues with families bringing in food and the concession stand not being open for events.
Blackmon said an engineer told him a year ago that it would cost $124,000 to improve the existing ice system. The improve-ments would increase the machinery’s life expectancy another 15 to 20 years.
Costs to convert the system to a brine-type system would be $690,000 to $828,000. Completely replacing the system could cost $828,000 to $966,000.
Blackmon acknowledges the ice continues to see regular usage.
“We haven’t made any decision,” he reiterated. “There’s lots of options.”
Among those would be to again raise ice rental rates. For groups, other than the Inferno which is under different contract, the rate is $150 an hour.
Smith said he has no problem paying market value, but the market wouldn’t allow for rates of $250 to $300.
The U of I charges $175 an hour, he said, adding that in other larger cities the cost is greater.
Blackmon said the arena would not issue contracts again starting in July unless officials are certain there will be ice.
He will present the energy survey information to the arena board as an information item.
