Big Lake Lions Recreation Center is on pace to reopen Nov. 1

BIG LAKE — What started as an unheated, unrefrigerated ice rink in 2010 is maturing into a powerful economic engine and a community center.

After closing for construction over the summer, work at the Big Lake Lions Recreation Center is on pace to reopen Nov. 1, said Bill Haller, Lions Club member and project manager.

The rink is heated by four large natural-gas heaters now, but still relies on Mother Nature to freeze its sheet, which saves on operations and maintenance costs, Haller said.

“We’ve never missed a day of ice in three years,” he said.

Two years of planning, fundraising and donations from community businesses and organizations culminated in the $1-million, 26,000-square-feet facility opening Nov. 19, 2010, off Lions Court along Big Lake Road.

“It’s not fancy,” Haller said. “But it’s very sustainable.”

He described the current construction as “phase 2a,” funded by $1.5 million in grants from the state of Alaska, Mat-Su Borough and Mat-Su Health Foundation, along with numerous donations from local businesses and individuals.

The project is a two-story, 12,000-square-foot addition to the front of the building that includes heated locker rooms, restrooms, concessions, a full commercial kitchen, public meeting space for 320 people, a heated viewing area, designated space for a public health nurse and offices for the Lions Club.

Although the facility opened three years ago, work improving it never ceased, Haller said. Over the years they’ve expanded parking, added heat and insulation and planned, designed and raised funds for construction of phase 2a, which is scheduled to be complete by summer 2014.

Haller said the second floor, phase 2b, will be completed when funding is available.

When the Big Lake Lions began researching the possibility of building the recreation center, he said the price tag engineers quoted for the work was $6 million to $7 million. Haller said it looks like that will cost $3.5 million to $4 million when completed.

Some of that saving comes from things like salvaging bleachers from West High School in Anchorage, a water tank for the sprinkler system from BP on the North Slope and insulation from a Big Lake Elementary roof replacement project this summer.

Haller said top to bottom, building the rec center is a volunteer effort.

“We couldn’t have done it without a supportive local community,” he said.

One of the most tangible benefits to the community is to the 1,200 kids a week last year who played hockey, baseball, softball and soccer there. (In March, the center switches to artificial turf — salvaged from a defunct arena football team in Anchorage.)

One of the beneficiaries of the rec center has been the Houston High School hockey program, said head coach Mike Styers. By not having to travel to Wasilla to practice or games, the players actually see more time on the ice and there are lower costs to operate the program, he said.

“We get more ice time,” he said. “Basically, the cost is less. Instead of skating for an hour a day, we skate for an hour-and-a-half. More ice time helps everything. It’s closer to where most of us are, closer to the school.”

Styers said he also notices the center making a difference for the community as a whole, not just his program.

“It’s done a lot of things besides just hockey,” he said. “Gun shows, sports shows — the Lions Club uses it for a lot of events.”

Those other uses, like the annual gun and boat shows, also have an economic impact on the community, Haller said. Houston High School operates the gun show and last year the school raised $20,000 during the event.

The coming improvements also may lure other events to Big Lake, he said. No deal’s been inked yet, but Haller said the Lions are in talks with organizers of the Oxygen Show in Anchorage about moving that event to Big Lake.

Since the Big Lake Lions Club was founded in 1978, it’s been part of a number of other large-scale community projects. Haller said the Lions also expanded the Big Lake Airport and put in lights, started the Big Lake Library and built the outdoor ice rink at Big lake Elementary.

The club does vision screening, provides glasses for kids and offers annual scholarships, he said.

“We’re pretty active,” Haller said.

Contact Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.