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Ohio Olympic Sports/Other Sports Topic
Topic: Bird Arena
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Day Tripper
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Posted: 9/27/2024 1:03 PM
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What is the story on Bird Arena? I have been told that the hockey team has no home ice at the moment. Have the ancient compressors and refrigeration unit finally given up the ghost? I thought the board of regents planned for a new ice arena and natatorium some time ago to be built next to the Ping. Will the Bird have an ice surface some time in the near future?
IceCat76
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Posted: 2/3/2025 2:07 PM
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Bird Arena is back up and running. It underwent some repairs in the fall. A new compressor was installed over the summer. When they turned it on it over powered the piping in the floor and blew hole in the pipes and I believe the asphalt floor. I've seen this happen before , in fact our local rink had it happen about 20 years ago.

Good news is that the Trustees recently approved a $3.2M project to upgrade the rink with a new floor, new boards and glass, refurb the locker rooms and authorized the work to lengthen the rink to 200 ft, if feasible.

The bad thing is now they'll never pony up for a full replacement.
Last Edited: 2/3/2025 2:09:21 PM by IceCat76
OhioCatFan
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Posted: 2/4/2025 12:05 AM
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IceCat76 wrote:expand_more
. . . The bad thing is now they'll never pony up for a full replacement.
Oh, I don't know. We have a whole cadre of administrators who are good at delaying maintenance to a building and then declaring that it's too expensive to repair. So, five years from now, if they decide we need a new arena, they can probably bring it to its figurative knees in five more years, and claim that it must be torn down. This the American way. In almost any other country, the old arena would be expanded, enhanced and renovated on a continuing basis for literally centuries. Not here. Look at all the MLB and NFL franchises that must have new ballparks. Glad I'm a Cub fan, and that we still cherish old Wrigley Field!
rpbobcat
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Posted: 2/4/2025 2:11 PM
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OhioCatFan wrote:expand_more
. . . The bad thing is now they'll never pony up for a full replacement.
Oh, I don't know. We have a whole cadre of administrators who are good at delaying maintenance to a building and then declaring that it's too expensive to repair. So, five years from now, if they decide we need a new arena, they can probably bring it to its figurative knees in five more years, and claim that it must be torn down. This the American way. In almost any other country, the old arena would be expanded, enhanced and renovated on a continuing basis for literally centuries. Not here. Look at all the MLB and NFL franchises that must have new ballparks. Glad I'm a Cub fan, and that we still cherish old Wrigley Field!
When I saw your post, all I could think of was the tuberculosis ward at The Ridges and Scott Quad.
Perfect examples of defer Maintenance until its too late.
IceCat76
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Posted: 1/9/2026 7:19 AM
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For those who may have an interest, here is a status for Bird from the hockey coach.

"Bird Ice Arena Update
The temporary IceMat system for the 2025-26 season continues to operate effectively. We are hoping for more of the same over the next 10 weeks. The bid process for the upcoming Bird construction project was closed before the holidays and the project continues to move forward. At the completion of the 2025-26 season, Bird Ice Arena will be shutdown after the national tournament and the plan is for construction to begin April 1, 2026. OHIO University administration is currently making some decisions to determine the full scope of the work we will be able to proceed with moving forward.
Bird Ice Arena also hired a new Assistant Director named Aidan Galasso to run all the day to day operations. Aidan has over 15 years of ice management experience and we are happy to have him a part of the OHIO Hockey family.
We are excited about the future of Bird Ice Arena continuing to be an integral part of OHIO University and look forward to many improvements ahead."
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