PALMER -- The city of Palmer is negotiating a deal with the Alaska Avalanche junior hockey team to be the team's hometown for the next five years.
The Avalanche is a Tier 2 Junior A ice hockey team whose home ice was previously Wasilla's Menard Sports Center. The team originated in Springfield, Mo., as the Springfield Spirit and moved to Wasilla in 2005 as the Wasilla Spirit but kicked off its second season in Wasilla as the Alaska Avalanche.
Palmer City Council members this week voted 4-0 to have City Manager Bill Allen negotiate with and sign a five-year contract with Avalanche officials to use the Palmer Ice Arena. But council members delayed for two weeks deciding whether to spend $885,385 to upgrade the arena to meet the team's needs. Two of the six council members were absent, as was Mayor John Combs, who also votes.
"I would like to give our missing council members an opportunity to weigh in," Councilman Kevin Brown said. Councilman Richard Best agreed, calling the decision to upgrade the ice arena "a significant financial commitment."
The City Council will hold a second public hearing on the ice arena upgrades at 7 p.m. July 27.
NOT ENOUGH SEATS
North American Hockey League rules require a minimum of 1,500 seats. That's about 1,000 more than the 5-year-old Palmer ice rink offers, so the city must expand it if the team plays there. But expanding the bleachers means adding other facilities to meet city code, such as two new restrooms and more parking.
The city has a three-phase, $1.2 million expansion plan to add seating and make other improvements.
If funding is approved this month, the city would add bleachers and bleacher supports, upgrade lighting, install a new speaker system and create executive seating space this year before the hockey season begins. A new exterior door also would be added.
Phase two would include a 20-foot addition to the building to house new locker rooms, office space, new restrooms and an upgraded kitchen, all added before the 2011 hockey season begins. The third phase would add more parking.
Allen, in a memo outlining the upgrades, said the expansion won't just benefit the Avalanche.
"This will convert the structure into a multi-purpose facility which can be used year-round," Allen stated. "Palmer is limited in its ability to offer events involving large audiences such as graduations, trade shows and important meetings attracting a large audience."
The ice arena now is unused during the summer.
City leaders hope to underwrite part of the construction cost by seeking a building sponsor (think Los Angeles' Staples Center), and by obtaining grants from the Rasmuson Foundation and Mat-Su Health Foundation. Allen, in a memo to the council, said the city would seek $700,000 from those sources.
The Avalanche is willing to contribute as well. The contract the City Council agreed this week to sign calls on the team to contribute $50,000 total over four years to the city.
BLOG CITES EXPENSES
Alaska Avalanche general manager Dave Boitz was traveling and did not return messages Thursday regarding the team's decision to move from Wasilla.
Also on vacation was Menard Sports Center director James Hastings. So little information was available Thursday about why Wasilla and team officials were unable to agree on a new contract.
Avalanche marketing director Patrick O'Neill, on the My Avalanche Hockey blog (www.myavalanchhockey.com), cited financial reasons in a July 3 entry announcing plans to move.
"We were looking for a contract that was in line with the rest of the league ..." O'Neill wrote. "Exclusive advertising rights, on-site beer and wine permits were things that were being altered from our last contract, all of which resulted in less revenue opportunities on top of a higher overall cost to play at the Menard."
The Avalanche would pay the city of Palmer about $30,500 per year according to the tentative contract the council examined Tuesday. Those fees include ice time, 27 home games, an exhibition game and practice time for the team.
The contract would also let the team get a liquor license to sell alcohol at the arena.
Find Rindi White online at adn.com/contact/rwhite or call 352-6709.
By RINDI WHITE
rwhite@adn.com