MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) – Originally built in the 1970s, All Seasons Arena in Mankato has been the home of community athletic and youth programs for decades.

Mankato Area Public Schools ran the facility for over 40 years, but facility operations were taken over by the city of Mankato in 2021.

Upon taking over the facility, the city found that All Seasons Arena was in need of some upgrades.

“From the standpoint of, especially that south rink, if that rink is to fail, if it is to have a leak, with the R-22, again, we would not be able to save that rink during the season, meaning that, you know, we would go from two rinks down to one. Obviously, that would have an impact on youth hockey,” said Parker Skophammer, director of administrative services for the City of Mankato.

Between upgrading the rink’s ice system and miscellaneous building and property repairs, the total price tag for the improvements is around $8.4 million.

The city is currently in the process of pitching the project to nearby jurisdictions, and the plan still needs to be passed by the city councils of nearby cities.

A proposed plan from July lists Mankato, North Mankato, Skyline, Eagle Lake and Blue Earth County as the proposed payers of the project.

That plan has not been received positively by all parties; Eagle Lake’s City Council rejected the proposal on the grounds that the city currently has no working agreement with the arena, and therefore will not pay for any improvements.

Mankato officials said that they are dedicated to the arena running smoothly, and want to find a plan that accomplishes that goal.

“One of our priorities in this is ensuring that our youth has a place where they have dependable ice with the best amenities we can provide within that facility,” Skophammer said.

Copyright 2022 KEYC. All rights reserved.