The city of Madison is backing a plan to split up operation of the Madison Ice Arena on the city’s southwest side and the Hartmeyer Ice Arena on the east side, both currently operated by Madison Ice Inc., the Wisconsin State Journal reports. The aging facilities are in need of millions of dollars of improvements and have faced financial challenges since the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new agreement set to go before elected officials in the coming weeks would see a new nonprofit take over Hartmeyer operations, and Madison Ice Inc. would continue to operate the Madison Ice Arena. The deal comes with a pledge from the East Madison Ice Collective, a newly-formed entity, to raise $3 million in three years for Hartmeyer building improvements. In exchange, it will receive outright ownership of the arena and $1.6 million in debt forgiveness for Madison Ice Inc. from the city.
