The city of Syracuse will close Meachem Ice Rink until it can find $1.5 million to fix the coolant system, Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner said Thursday.
Miner asked Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the money during this year’s state budget negotiations.
It was on a list of $16.4 million Miner requested for basic city improvements, including police cars, road construction and repairs to bursting water mains.
The state budgeted money for cities to split up for road repairs, but the Meachem ice rink money was not included in this year’s state budget, Miner said.
Meachem Ice Rink, in the Valley neighborhood, offers public skating and hosts the Corcoran High School ice hockey team and the Valley Youth Hockey Association games. It is an enclosed rink and open year-round, although the public season usually runs from November through March. It is 30 years old.
Miner said the city has had the Meachem repairs on its wish list for three years. The city parks department has reached the end of possible temporary fixes.
“Just as the skating season ended, the system pretty much totally fell apart,” Miner said.
Miner said she is not talking about permanently closing the ice rink.
“We’re closing it until we can get a solution for the coolant system,” she said.
Miner dismissed any suggestion that the lack of funding has to do with her contentious relationship with Cuomo. Miner has spoken out against Cuomo’s policies on state help for cities. On Thursday, she resigned from her position as co-chair of the New York State Democratic Party.
“I can tell you, I’ve talked with mayors across the state and every single one has said they need more money for potholes, more money for road construction, more money for water mains and sewers,” she said. “This is an issue that impacts the entire state and I’m part of the leadership across the state that says attention needs to be paid to the infrastructure.”