A consultant has been obtained to conduct a facility assessment of the Ames/Iowa State ice arena by the city of Ames and ISU.

The consultant, VSC Sports, from Sherman Oaks, Calif., will determine the cost to either renovate the facility or construct a new ice arena. VSC Sports was chosen because they have a history with the ice arena industry, said the director of Ames Park and Recreation, Nancy Carroll.

This project is one of many that VSC Sports has done. They have worked with large corporations like Disney and several cities. Tonight officials will meet with the public and give their findings.

A public meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the City Auditorium at 6th & Clark Streets this evening to inform the public of the condition of the facility. Vice-president of VSC Sports, Bert Blanchette, will be attending.

From that point, the city and Iowa State will determine the need for a fund-raiser to pay for renovation or whether land to the west of the rink should be allocated for expansion.

“The reason for the assessment is that the building is over 20 years old,” said David Becham, the manager of the Ames/ISU Arena, adding that it is a wiser decision to renovate or build before problems occur.

The Ames/ISU Arena has only one sheet of ice. The rink was built with volunteer help from used parts from a rink in Chicago.

“I think the majority of the people would like to see an additional rink,” Becham said. “I would also like to see two sheets of ice. There is a big struggle for ice time.”

Many local and student groups use the rink, such as the Cyclone men’s varsity and junior varsity hockey teams, Ames Park and Recreation and Ames Minor Hockey League.

The Ames Figure Skating Club does not receive an adequate amount of time for their skaters. Skaters say they need more time everyday to practice. The rink is open from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. weekdays. But even with these hours there is a limited time to rent the rink.

“The facility was not made for the heavy usage,” said Debbie Barr, president of the board of the Ames Figure Skating Club. “The rink was built with volunteer labor to be used for hockey. It is now used almost 24 hours a day. Almost 12 months of the year. It needs some repair and work. [They] need the capability to let their programs grow.”

On the other hand, there are rink users who are grateful for the rink in Ames, with or without renovation.

“I think we should feel very fortunate that we have a rink,” said Mandy Dearborn, an instructor for the “Learn to Skate” program for Ames Park & Recreation.

There are not many ice rinks in Iowa. There are two in Des Moines, one in Davenport, one in Waterloo and one in Mason City. If the rink in Ames is down, skaters must go to Des Moines to use ice-skating facilities.

“I think that they are all right as they are, but there is room for improvement,” Dearborn said.