NOVI – City officials are pursuing a sale of the Novi Ice Arena, a longtime parks and recreation asset.
During a March 23 meeting, the majority of city council members expressed their interest in selling the arena that has hosted thousands of recreational and competitive figure skaters and hockey players over the course of nearly 30 years, including Olympians, national champions and future NHL players.
“This (decision) is not about ice skating or hockey, services our residents value,” Mayor Justin Fischer said. “It’s a question about whether our continued ownership, including all risks, is the best way to deliver services.”
The two-rink, 75,000 square-foot facility located on 7 acres at 42400 Nick Lidstrom Drive was constructed in 1998 at a total cost of $11.5 million, including roads and other infrastructure, City Manager Victor Cardenas said.
The project was financed through revenue bonds and the debt has been fully repaid through rental income.
But Fischer noted that like a vehicle that reaches over 100,000 miles, the arena’s maintenance costs are expected to increase while the facility itself will depreciate in value.
The city’s finance and administration committee began discussing the arena’s future in July and brought to the council three options, which besides obtaining bids for sale of the facility, also included obtaining bids for additional studies and analysis of the issue; and maintaining current operations, which includes continued management by Suburban Sports Group.
Suburban has managed the facility for decades, and Fischer said he would only consider an offer from the Farmington Hills company that brought the arena out of the red after a faltering financial start.
Legally, he added, the city is not permitted to make a profit off the arena and at best can only break even. The arena had total revenues in 2024-25 of more than $2.2 million.
The Novi Ice Arena recently appraised for $3.6 million and Fischer said he would want to start negotiations with Suburban at $4 million, money he said could be used for the ITC park, Bosco Fields, and the current police station property, which “will be vacated soon.”
Councilmember Dave Staudt said now is a good time to consider the sale, with the city’s debt paid off and the “arena in very good shape.”
“All good things have to come to an end,” he said. “It’s time to move on from the ice arena biz and repurpose dollars to things that are important long-term, our parks and parks and recreation facilities.”
While Councilmember Matt Heintz expressed his preference for maintaining the arena for now and consulting more with residents, the rest of council voiced support for sale of the arena, although with possible caveats.
Councilmember Aaron Martinez said he wanted the city’s dog park and a cell tower on the property parceled separately, and wanted to see bids for the property, with a subsequent council discussion.
Mayor Pro-Tem Laura Marie Casey said after a battle between her head and heart, she supported the sale to Suburban, but was concerned about subsequent sales of the property.
“My concern is the second sell,” she said, suggesting a first right of refusal could be written into the contract to prevent the property ever being purchased for housing or retail development. “If they (Suburban) choose to sell in the future, it leaves us with no options.”
Contact reporter Susan Bromley at sbromley@hometownlife.com.
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: City of Novi in talks to sell ice arena
Reporting by Susan Bromley, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
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