Brett ice arena reopens

WASILLA -- When the Mat-Su Borough spent $1.9 million to build the Brett Memorial Ice Arena 18 years ago, borough officials expected that phase two -- full locker rooms and showers, offices and other amenities -- would follow within a two- to three-year time period. Unfortunately, the bottom fell out of the oil market, the economy took a downturn and recreational funding was put on hold in favor of other borough priorities, such as funding schools and public safety.

"We took a back seat for a long time," said Bruce Urban, manager of recreation services for the Mat-Su Borough during a tour of the recently completed work at the Brett arena. Urban said the voter-approved $4.4 million parks bond passed in 1999 has been instrumental in updating borough recreational facilities.

"It wasn't 'til recently when we put together this bond package for parks [that park facilities have been updated]," Urban said.

Now, 15 years after renovations were expected, the Valley's only indoor ice arena has heated locker rooms -- complete with showers and toilets -- where hockey teams can prepare for games as well as for the ride back home.

Renovations got underway in mid-April and wrapped up Aug. 5. The arena was closed to the public for that time, so many regular users are now getting a chance to see the changes.

But Arena Manager Allan Ervin said the changes were worth the wait. About 5,400 square feet were added on to the facility, creating five locker rooms, a referee and first aid room, an expanded maintenance area, new public restrooms, a vestibule to keep the winter weather and snow out, and more than three times the office space that was available in the original facility.

"We finally have a nice office area that's at the entrance to greet people when they get here," Urban said. Previously, the office was a small space mid-rink and visitors often stumbled upon it only after wandering around the facility.

The new office area sports a larger skate sharpening and bending bench -- services provided on an as-needed basis throughout the year, Ervin said. Two service windows were added so staff can more easily answer questions and sell event tickets. Gone, Ervin said, are the days when staff haul a card table and cash box up to the door area and, bundled against the often-bracing weather, sell tickets.

But one of the most significant changes brought about by the renovation is barely tangible. Reduced congestion will be a very important side effect of the changes, Ervin said -- a very important one.

Previously, he and Urban explained, people entering the building gathered at the door area to purchase tickets and headed toward the bleachers on the opposite side of the arena. To get there, they passed a locker room generally used by the "away" team at hockey games. Logistically speaking, whenever a game ended, one end of the facility was glutted with spectators heading for the door and a team heading back to its locker room -- which meant delay for everyone. Additionally, since only one team's locker room was behind the players' boxes, teams often had to cross paths between periods and after the game -- a potentially heated situation.

Now, with five locker rooms directly behind the players' boxes, teams don't have to cross paths with each other -- or the public -- until they're on their way out of the building.

"We don't have the congestion we had before," Ervin said.

The new locker rooms bring much-needed amenities to the facility -- showers.

"This is something we've never had for visiting teams, let alone for our own teams," Urban said. "It was pretty difficult for teams traveling …"

Many teams, Urban said, come from Fairbanks or Kenai to play and, when the game is over, previously faced a long, sweaty ride home. Ervin said the added shower facilities will make it more convenient for everyone using the facility, and may make it easier for teams who schedule a game in Anchorage and Kenai and a second in the Valley to head home refreshed afterward.

In addition to four warm locker rooms with adequate room for coaches to conduct pre- and mid-game briefings, the Brett received an added update. A fifth locker room is now available for use by girls who are members of co-ed teams.

"We have a number of high school teams and youth hockey teams that have girls on them," Urban said. "If the locker rooms were all being used, there was never a space for them to go and change."

Previously, the girls used the public restrooms and carted their belongings back to their team's locker rooms. Now, female players have their own space -- and the Brett is ahead of the curve on a spatial problem that has been plaguing ice rinks across the nation.

The old office space has been turned into a referee room and first aid station, an amenity local referees are happy about, Urban said. The facility has about twice the space it previously did for maintenance equipment, which will allow for upkeep of the two Zambonis, as well as storage and upkeep of all the necessary grounds maintenance equipment. A few related changes are being made at the outdoor rink just a few hundred yards away behind Wasilla Middle School. That facility is getting new dasher boards, and the portable building that once housed changing and warming rooms for Brett arena users will be available for use at that rink. Urban and Ervin said the outdoor ice will be groomed several times a day and well-lit, which they hope will give hockey teams another place to practice and play. That rink will also be available for general skating use three days a week.

As with most upgrades, the $1.2 million renovation will come at some cost to users.

"Skate fees have gone up," Urban said, "and that's part of the reason. But fees would generally be going up regularly because of increased operational costs."

Fees were increased to $165 per hour for ice rental, but the Brett retains its title as being the least expensive ice in the Southcentral area, Urban said. Other facilities charge upwards of $200 per hour, with some charging as much as $250.

Urban said he hopes the new amenities -- things which most people take for granted at other facilities -- will make the facility more desirable for local users. When several new ice sheets were built in the Anchorage area a few years ago, Urban said, many users decided the extra cost and added miles were worthwhile and left the Brett. As teams clamor for more and better ice time, many users have returned to the Valley. But there's still room for a few more, and chances are the renovations will help fill those remaining slots.

"It'll make it more desirable for people who want to come here," Urban said.

Ervin said users have already commented about the changes at the facility.

"Everything that everybody's said has been positive so far," Ervin said, "and we like that."