The cooling system that keeps ice frozen at the National Sports Center’s Super Rink is 28 years old, and officials say replacing it has become a critical infrastructure need.
State legislators are seeking bonding money for the project, but the request comes during a year when infrastructure needs across Minnesota exceed the funding likely to be available.
Jayme Murphy, director of health, data and analytics for the National Sports Center, said the Super Rink is a state-owned building and is eligible for state bonding funds.
“What we’re always risking is a failure or break of the cooling plant,” Murphy said. “That could lead to disruption of maintaining and making ice for all of the users at the Super Rink.”
Murphy said any planned replacement of the cooling system would take months and require a shutdown. The ideal window would be after hockey season ends in March and before the busiest summer months.
A planned shutdown would allow the National Sports Center to schedule around rink users, Murphy said. A major failure would not.
The state typically manages deferred maintenance through bonding bills, Murphy said. The National Sports Center has been included in bonding bills several times before, helping fund repairs on the campus, including soccer fields, indoor facilities and the golf course.
The Super Rink, however, carries a larger price tag than many previous campus projects.
“First and foremost, we need a bonding bill to go through,” Murphy said. “There’s a likelihood it doesn’t happen.”
Murphy said demand for infrastructure funding across the state is far greater than the amount of bonding money available. She said possible outcomes range from no bonding bill to $4.5 million in funding through the governor’s proposal, though questions remain about whether that would cover the ice plant replacement.
The rink’s cooling system is an indirect system with four compressors that pump coolant to the rinks. Murphy said replacing it is not as simple as replacing one unit in one room. The system includes pipes, rink floors and boards.
The system also uses R-22 Freon, which Murphy said is no longer being produced under federal rules, though it was commonly used when the facility was built.
Murphy said the ideal funding scenario would be $23.7 million. That would pay for a new cooling plant, replacement compressors, floors and boards, as well as heating, ventilation and air conditioning work. Murphy said the air conditioning work is also important because of the high temperatures Minnesota can see in July and August.
“We’re exploring all the options,” Murphy said. “Being a state building, we’ll always ask for this replacement. We’d like to be able to present the full-scale project up front, based on whatever number we get in a bonding bill.”
Rep. Nolan West, who co-authored the funding request with Rep. Matt Norris, said the money would have to be included in a broader bonding package. Bonding bills require three-fifths support in both the House and Senate, meaning they need bipartisan support to pass.
“Unlike many other things, it always requires bipartisan support,” West said. “I think it’s easier to lift, because the bonding bill is always an exercise in compromise every time it’s considered.”
West said he expects some level of funding for preservation projects to be included if lawmakers pass a bonding bill. He said the National Sports Center’s needs have grown as annual preservation funding has fallen short.
“The refrigerant is a critical, time-sensitive need,” West said. “What has been happening with not enough preservation funding is overall deterioration of the buildings.”