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Attachment A <br />Friday, July 5, 2024 <br />Dear Mayor & Council Members, <br />I am writing on behalf of the Mounds View Irondale Youth Hockey <br />Association (MVI) regarding an important matter that significantly <br />impacts our community. The Super Rink has been a vital part of our <br />community for the past 25 years, serving as a central facility for MVI <br />Youth Hockey, our high schools, and various ice sports programs. <br />Every year, MVI utilizes over 800 hours of ice time for team practices and games and hosts two <br />tournaments using nearly 600 additional hours. With over 750 players from more than 450 <br />families across our 8-city area during the 2023-2024 season, the Super Rink is essential to our <br />growing association. <br />The growth in our program emphasizes the urgent need for a continued partnership with Super <br />Rink. However, the rising costs of providing quality hockey programs, including expenses for ice <br />time, tournament fees, and essential items, have strained our current budget. To ensure the <br />Super Rink remains a state-of-the-art facility that can accommodate our growing needs and <br />serve our community effectively, we seek support from our city governments within the MVI <br />footprint. <br />The Super Rink, constructed 27 years ago for $22 million, now requires significant capital <br />improvements to meet modern standards and continue serving our community effectively. The <br />proposed renovations, estimated to cost $12 million, include converting the ice plant from R-22 <br />to ammonia and installing new floors, boards, sound systems, scoreboards, LED lights, and <br />other efficiencies. The Super Rink requests $750,000 from MVI to support these renovations, <br />ensuring our ice guarantee for another twenty years. <br />The Super Rink has previously operated without additional funding thanks to revenue from <br />private ice rentals, including MVI, in-house programs, hospitality, and sponsorships. However, <br />due to the substantial scale of the required improvements, it is now seeking financial support <br />from its primary facility users. <br />We are proposing an initial payment by MVI of $375,000—fifty percent of the overall <br />request —and asking each city to contribute based on a fair model that considers a three-year <br />average of MVI players from each city for the remaining investment (see chart below). By <br />working together, we can secure the future of the Super Rink and continue to offer invaluable <br />ice time and development programs to our young players. This initiative is not just about the <br />physical infrastructure of the Super Rink but also about investing in our community members' <br />well-being, health, and recreational opportunities. The capital contribution will secure access to <br />812 hours of ice time annually for 20 years, which MVI will purchase each season. <br />