Early projections push rink opening to summer 2016

The town has started insurance proceedings and is seeking full replacement value for the repair of Metropolis Rink, which suffered a partial roof collapse on the morning of Saturday, February 28. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, which occurred while players and coaches from Norwood Youth Hockey were practicing on the ice. Town Administrator Bill Friel said it appears the rink will be not be operational until June 30, 2016.

The recovery process will be lengthy and will involve input from independent structural engineers, the town’s insurance company, and the state Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which leases the rink to the town.

After filing the initial insurance paperwork, Friel said the next step is a joint meeting between all parties to determine the extent of the damage. Friel said some additional melting of snow and ice has to occur before a site visit can be arranged.

Selectman John Connolly emphasized that the intent of the board is to get the rink operational as soon as possible, and they plan to solicit the help of state Representative Bill Galvin and state Senator Brian Joyce to move the process along. Noting the rink was built 40 years ago, Connolly said that Metropolis is part of the fabric of Canton. “We want to get it up and running as soon as possible,” he said.

Friel said the town has returned all personal belongings to the Norwood Youth Hockey players and has hired independent structural engineers to assess the damage and determine the extent of needed repairs. He said it is too early to assess the value of the damages but said a full repair is expected as there are no insurance stipulations for depreciation costs.

Selectman Bob Burr has also been in contact with Canton Youth Hockey representatives and private rink owners to help the organization find ice time for next year.

Selectmen asked Friel to keep the public informed via updates on the town website, and the board saluted the work of Recreation Director Janet Maguire, who they said has worked tirelessly on the matter since the collapse occurred on February 28.

In other weather-related news, Friel said there have been at least a half dozen reports of water seeping in through the roofs of municipal buildings since January 21 and the town has filed initial damage claims.

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Posted by Mike Berger on Mar 12 2015. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.