ESCONDIDO — A nonprofit affiliated with the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks is exploring a partnership with the city of Escondido to build a new public ice rink complex at Kit Carson Park.
The Escondido City Council is scheduled to consider a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday with The Rinks Foundation to study the feasibility of constructing a community ice facility at the park.
If the project moves forward, the facility would be fully funded and built by The Rinks Foundation, a nonprofit established by philanthropists Henry and Susan Samueli, owners of the Anaheim Ducks and the American Hockey League’s San Diego Gulls.
The foundation operates eight hockey and skating facilities across Southern California, including Poway ICE and Great Park Ice in Irvine.
According to project proponents, all proceeds generated by the facility would be reinvested to support the growth of local ice sports and recreational activities.
Preliminary plans call for a complex featuring three sheets of ice, including one arena with seating for 2,000 to 3,000 spectators. The proposed facility would also include a restaurant, training areas and competition space.
“We’re incredibly honored to have been approached by The Rinks Foundation to explore this partnership,” Escondido City Manager Sean McGlynn said. “When Ice Plex Escondido closed, we lost an incredible community asset as it was the largest ice skating facility in the county. We look forward to exploring the opportunity to not only bring ice sports back to Escondido but to expand access to ice sheets for the entire southern California region.”
In addition to youth and adult hockey programs, figure skating and other ice sports, the facility would serve as a practice venue for the San Diego Gulls and home ice for the San Diego Jr. Gulls, Jr. Gulls Girls and high school teams competing in the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League.
“On behalf of the Rinks Foundation and the San Diego Gulls, we are excited by the possibilities to provide a state-of-the-art ice skating and hockey facility in Escondido to meet the growing demands of ice participation in the region,” said Aaron Teats, president of The Rinks Foundation. “This facility would assist in the growing needs for youth, high school, adult hockey and skating in San Diego, and north county in particular, and provide a community asset for a million visitors annually.”
If approved, the city and foundation would host two community meetings to gather public input before returning to the City Council with findings at a future public hearing.
More information about the proposal is available at The Rinks Foundation’s Escondido Ice Project website.
