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Numbers back up claims that arena benefits community
Published 11:05am Monday, March 12, 2012As hockey and skating season draws to a close, so does the first season of the Fergus Falls Community Arena. Though the ice arena’s construction drew and still does draw ire from some residents, many in the city are beginning to see the arena’s benefits first-hand.
One of the biggest financial impacts has been the Fergus Falls Hockey Association’s youth hockey tournaments, which can now host more teams, thanks to the practice rink.
“With having this new arena and two rinks, we were able to have more than eight teams at a tournament,” said Kelly Longtin, the association’s tournament coordinator. “Pretty much all of (the new teams) had to stay in hotels.”
In two of the FFHA’s six youth hockey tournaments, 12 teams were involved (the arena also hosted the District 15 Pee Wee A tournament this year). Those additional players and their families add up.
Using tourism spending research from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, the Fergus Falls Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated that the 714 visiting groups (hockey players and their families) who came to Fergus Falls in the 2009-2010 hockey season for youth hockey spent $313,660 (2010-11 numbers were not calculated). This year, there were 969 groups, spending an estimated $425,681 in the community.
One place where those groups have been staying is the Fergus Falls AmericInn. Manager Keresa Schultz explained that the number of “blocks” of rooms reserved by hockey teams doubled this year, and the number of actual rooms reserved by teams and players’ families increased by 35 percent.
“I think the more events we have there, the more beneficial it is for everyone here,” said Schultz.
Pizza Ranch is a popular eating destination for many visiting teams. General Manager Ashton Stoltenburg always knows it’s a hockey weekend when a crush of uniforms comes through the door.
“We always get calls ahead of time trying to reserve a party room, and some just come unexpected,” she said. While she said the local Pizza Ranch has been growing in popularity in general, she believes the ice arena may have helped them draw in a few more diners.
Hockey isn’t the only revenue generator. “We’ve also seen more (hotel) stays due to figure skating,” Schultz noted.
At the Fergus Falls Skating Club’s recent mini-competition at the arena, about 100 skaters from 10 different skating clubs competed. That’s a huge increase over competitions held in the Fairgrounds Arena, Basic Skills Director Heather Dirkman noted.
“Usually, we’re in the 40s,” she said.
While outside involvement is good for the local economy, many associated with the arena believe that the real benefit is increased local participation.
The skating club enrolled 115 basic skills skaters this year, up from the typical 80 to 90, and youth hockey registration rose by about 30 kids. On the city side, attendance at city-run events like open skate and adult lunch time hockey has topped 3,500. While Parks and Recreation Manager Steve Plaza does not have attendance numbers for previous years, he said participation has skyrocketed.
On open skate days at the fairgrounds, he said, “We had four to 10 people average. Here we’re getting 25 to 30 sometimes.”
In the summer, open roller-skate and roller hockey days will be held in the space.
The city expects usage during the off-season as well. A few different groups are looking at using the arena space for events, and the annual Men’s Health Day has already been booked there. The Fergus Falls Public Schools will also leverage the unfrozen rinks, using it as practice space for the softball program on rainy days.
The school system has perhaps reaped the most benefits from the arena.
“We basically have contracted that we can use it pretty much at will during the day,” said FFPS Activities Director Gary Schuler.
While attendance has been better at Otter high school games this year (one reason: the seating area is warmer), Schuler said the arena is used for so much more. Physical education classes are often held there, an impossibility when the nearest sheet of indoor ice was at the Fairgrounds.
“Anytime that you can add something to your curriculum that is different from what you usually can do, that’s a positive,” he remarked.
Economic benefits aside, what some observers in the school, city, hockey association and skating club are seeing is a general increase of interest in skating. The nice facilities and central location have lured in people who are curious, and that curiosity has often bloomed into something they can enjoy for years to come.
“It can be a good lifetime activity,” said Schuler. He recalled a recent trip to arena during an open skate day.
“I saw people from about age four all the way up to a gentleman who appeared to be in his seventies.”
Tags: ice arena
My question is where are they putting all these people up at? Ten years ago the hotels in town were all booked solid for the tournament weekends, and now there are so many more? I still haven’t seen a column showing us nay sayers how this is paying for itself, or if it is going to continue on the backs of those who don’t support it.
All of you “nay sayers” need to get off your high horses and check the place out. What a great addition to this community. I do not have any children who play hockey or are in figure skating yet I went to several events this winter at the arena and really enjoyed the new building. At one game I spoke to a parent from Fargo who stated that they did not like to come here to play before. What more do you need to know.
Oh, let’s see what more we need to know…Like, maybe we could learn how much the annual upkeep and maintenance will be that is added to the city budget. No way those costs will be covered by costs of admissions to events. Additional insurance premiums for fire, storms, liability?
Wages of the public employees who will care for the place, whether city or school district payroll (both?).Throw in their benefits like healthcare and retirement, vacations and paid days off. It will all add up, and be a necessary cost as long as the arena is in operation.
So, one parent from Fargo (who won’t be stuck with paying for the new place) didn’t like coming here before. Is that the reason for all the turmoil, the city council telling us to siddown and shuddup? A parent in Fargo wanted a better place for her child to play hockey, nicer concession stands? How much will she be paying for the expenses?
“How much will she be paying for the expenses?” – Actually, quite a bit – there is an additional sales tax on hotel rooms, meals, and anything else visitors spend money on while in Fergus Falls. That money goes to pay for the arena. And there is less maintenance on a new building with new equipment than on an old building with refrigeration equipment that is falling apart. Anyone with a lick of common sense would know that.
Lets see…. I have an older car. It has almost 200,000 miles on it. It isn’t quite as fuel efficient as it used to be, its starting to break some parts here and there as well. Do I keep it or get a new Corvette? While not as expensive as a Ferrari, the Corvette is a great vehicle. I would like the public to finance this car for me. Once a week I will let 5 of my friends drive it as well. They are the select few that are special enough to know me. Once a month I will also let someone from out of town drive it for a day. The rest of the time it will be stored or driven by me. Also, I believe that since I now own a sports car I am helping the economy by creating jobs in Kentucky where it is built, helping pay for my insurance agents vacation based on my increased costs as well as increasing income at the local gas station. The added bonus is that the car will also have extra goodies added later on to enhance engine performance and handling. This creates jobs for the people that are installing these products. The State of Minnesota will also get in on this. I am sure that over time I will accumulate a couple of speeding tickets. Therefor, I am asking for public funding of my new car. As I see it, the $80,000 investment in my car is going to pay for itself 10 fold in public good over the life of this vehicle. Please, I ask, think of the children who will be helped by funding this vehicle.
Holly, are you saying that only people who will visit here for hockey games will have to pay the increased sales taxes? So, the next time I am in the Viking for some of their great food, I will not have to pay the higher sales tax, since I am not an out of town hockey parent?
And, may we assume that the equipment and building will be immune forever from exposure to elements, wear and tear,degredation of parts and chemicals, increases in insurance rates for a more expensive building, bumps in pay and benefits for maintenance crews? Hence, our operating budget will never rise from what was the norm at the pre-exisiting facility?
But, after all, we are just “stubborn” and lacking in “common sense” if we take note of those things, huh?
No, your comment was that the visitors are “not paying for the new place”, when, clearly they are contributing. And the maintenance issues will be lower for many years, and likely will never exceed the maintenance costs that were projected for future years at the old, decrepit facility – the numbers are available from both the City and the School District. I did not say you are stubborn, though I did imply that you lack common sense. I guess if the shoes fit …. (I can see why Phaedrus picks you apart so easily – you have passion for your political beliefs, but you absolutely lack the ability to put together a logical argument based on facts).
Not in Figure skating yet. That is the key word, YET. Another one of the very few that will use this place. The old skating rink would have sufficed for the time being until the economy came back. There were other things that needed to be done in Fergus before a skating rink for a few people. First off I would have started w/ the roads, they are in cruddy condition. This is a much more inviting improvement to the city than is a ice arena very few will ever see. I’m sure its a wonderful looking little ice palace full of all the latest in ice rink technology, but just because something is new and shiny does that mean we should just automatically pay for it? I’m all for spending money to make money, but this was utter foolishness. That money could have also been invested in trying to bring real businesses to the city using a real business model. Build the tax base from there, not citizens who are already hurting. If all you’re worried about is maybe getting a little chilly during a sporting event, why not put a retractable roof on the football field? THAT would draw the crowds like nothing else.
Holly is correct. The rest of them know it too, just too stubborn to admit it.
So a couple of motels and restaurants will make a few bucks while the rest of us pay the freight. I’m so happy for them.
I’m still waiting for that giant influx of families moving to Fergus Falls so their children can play hockey.
They are holding out for a covered football dome and aquatic park. But, the council will likely give those to them, for , after all, we have to look out for the children, no matter what it costs.