Topsham could be getting its own indoor ice arena and a multi-use sports complex.
On Wednesday, the Six Rivers Youth Sports, an independent nonprofit organization, closed on a deal to purchase the former Roller World building and a 7-acre plot at 20 Atwood Road for a new indoor ice arena.
The nonprofit aims to promote youth sports and an ice arena in Topsham and neighboring communities.
“We will not only offer our services to Brunswick and Topsham, but a dozen of other communities like Harpswell, Freeport, Lisbon, and all the towns in the MSAD -75 school district,” said Bill Patterson, president of Six Rivers Youth Sports. “It will be a multi-community facility.”
While the total land available at the site is 12 acres, the nonprofit bought only half the land, including the building that previously housed a roller-skating rink. Patterson declined to disclose the price of the area purchased.
The floor plan of the planned indoor ice arena that will come up in Topsham. Six Rivers Youth Sports
The Indoor Sports Complex or ‘The Dome’ and a turf field will stay with the current owner’s Seacoast United.
The nonprofit plans to construct an NHL-size rink — 200 feet long and 85 feet wide. The project’s total cost is approximately $4 million, and the organization has so far raised $500,000 through private individuals, businesses, foundations and other grants.
“The ice rink will operate from October to March, and in the Spring and Summer, it will be available for other uses,” said Patterson. “The concrete floor there can be used to play soccer, box lacrosse, or roller skating. There is a whole bunch of uses that can happen in the spring.”
He added that they would renovate the existing building for the indoor turf room, and the locker rooms would be in the same building.
Patterson said their primary purpose is to provide facilities for the existing programs run by local recreation organizations and Mid Coast Hockey Association.
“We just want to rent the facility and focus on owning and maintaining a high-quality facility,” said Patterson. “The skating clubs are all set up to rent space, and we want to provide the facility and partner with local groups.”
There is no ice-skating rink in Topsham. The local high school hockey teams practice at Bowdoin College’s Sidney J. Watson Arena in Brunswick.
“Bowdoin College has always been good to us, but unfortunately, with the busy college schedule, they can only offer so much ice,” said AJ Kavanaugh, who coaches ice hockey for Mt. Ararat, Lisbon and Morse high schools. “There has been a need for an ice rink for 50 years in this area.”
“Various groups and organizations were trying to figure out a way to build an ice rink in the greater Brunswick area, so I think it is finally coming to fruition,” said Kavanaugh. “We have not been able to skate at Bowdoin very much at all last two years due to COVID-19 restrictions. It couldn’t come at a better time.”
The project construction will start once adequate funds are available, Patterson said.
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