Shortage of ice rinks in the DMV -- is there anything that we can do?

[Anonymous]

Are people really looking for ice rinks? Skating and hockey aren’t that popular. Of all the thing people complain about around here, not enough ice rinks is a first.

OP just move. It’s never happening around here.

[Anonymous]

We should make a rink on K street because all the lawyers arent going back. How about in the food court level of the international square building? I like this idea, but my whole family sucks at skating. Or something at Hains Point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of rinks. Too many. Really watered down local hockey. They need to fix older rinks like Bowie and Mt Vernon. Maybe add a sheet to Reston.

This comment is funny if you know all that has gone on with the Bowie rink.

So true

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Skating isn't a thing here - it's not the culture. You'd need to move north to get what you want.

Swimming is huge here and we don't have pools. So it is not a culture issue. It is a $ issue. These facilities require a lot of money to build and run. Land is expensive and governments would rather put up multi-unit housing that can be taxed and raise prices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My take on it is that land is incredibly more expensive in this area, OP, than in the other places you cited. Dog owners are desperately in need of dog parks. Schools are in need of more land to expand. We are in dire need of more swimming pools. Everyone needs land for something!

And you know what we're MOST in need of?

Affordable housing.

This is one of the reasons why I think RFK Stadium should be redeveloped into a major community sporting facility, along the lines of Chelsea Piers in New York. Facing the Anacostia riverfront for all the kayakers and rowers. There is enough space for a massive building or series of buildings housing ice rinks, swimming pools, basketball courts, cricket pitches, whatever. Go ahead and make room for a circus tent and circus school. Flying trapeze and contortion as an after school activity, anyone?

What DC *doesn't* need is yet another small plates restaurant that will fail within two years, a pointless facade for a bank branch, or a weed shop. Yet these seem to be the only types of businesses opening. If WFH is really going to be a permanent thing, there is so much good real estate in Metro-accessible neighborhoods that could be repurposed to be destination facilities for ice skating and other sports.

So true. Take RFK and make something like the St. James there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe there would be more interest if there were more facilities. As someone stated above, there's also a dearth of indoor pools in the DMV, relative to other areas. We should really ask our county leaders to do comparison studies and then bring our facilities up to par.

Is there really a dearth of pools? I am curious where you are getting this data.

Yes, there is a shortage of indoor pools, at least in Montgomery County. Same really for DC.

In MCPS, for example, there are really only 3 aquatic facilities for 25 high schools. They must share the pools. So each team is only allowed to hold swim practice 2x per week, to even out the practice opportunities.

The swim clubs are desperate for indoor pools. Some now look to use outdoor pools in the winter, due to the shortage of indoor pools.

At least there are plenty of outdoor pools in MoCo for summer use. (However, in DC there are very few outdoor pools, relative to the population.)

No shortage of pools in NoVA, plenty of high schools and rec centers with indoor pools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are people really looking for ice rinks? Skating and hockey aren’t that popular. Of all the thing people complain about around here, not enough ice rinks is a first.

OP just move. It’s never happening around here.

This is incorrect. Skating and hockey are popular. People in the DMV just accept as normal that the rinks will be absurdly crowded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My take on it is that land is incredibly more expensive in this area, OP, than in the other places you cited. Dog owners are desperately in need of dog parks. Schools are in need of more land to expand. We are in dire need of more swimming pools. Everyone needs land for something!

And you know what we're MOST in need of?

Affordable housing.

This is one of the reasons why I think RFK Stadium should be redeveloped into a major community sporting facility, along the lines of Chelsea Piers in New York. Facing the Anacostia riverfront for all the kayakers and rowers. There is enough space for a massive building or series of buildings housing ice rinks, swimming pools, basketball courts, cricket pitches, whatever. Go ahead and make room for a circus tent and circus school. Flying trapeze and contortion as an after school activity, anyone?

What DC *doesn't* need is yet another small plates restaurant that will fail within two years, a pointless facade for a bank branch, or a weed shop. Yet these seem to be the only types of businesses opening. If WFH is really going to be a permanent thing, there is so much good real estate in Metro-accessible neighborhoods that could be repurposed to be destination facilities for ice skating and other sports.

So true. Take RFK and make something like the St. James there.

Awesome idea to repurpose RFK as a multi-sports facility! Do you think you could send this idea to the DC Council?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are people really looking for ice rinks? Skating and hockey aren’t that popular. Of all the thing people complain about around here, not enough ice rinks is a first.

OP just move. It’s never happening around here.

This is incorrect. Skating and hockey are popular. People in the DMV just accept as normal that the rinks will be absurdly crowded.

I agree with the above poster- I used to be a competitive skater and would have kept my kids in it (they liked it) but I could tell facilities, rink time etc was going to become an issue if they got more serious.

Seems like soccer/lacrosse is really popular in this state (we just moved here). The St James is AMAZING! I wish MoCo would build something like that...side-by-side rinks, side-by-side playing fields, long course pool...I mean I get it, too expensive, but wow!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of rinks. Too many. Really watered down local hockey. They need to fix older rinks like Bowie and Mt Vernon. Maybe add a sheet to Reston.

I believe the Bowie rink the city council decided it was better to start from scratch than work with what they had. Which they started, then stopped and lost millions because the council is incompetent.
So I’m not certain “fixing” the old rinks is as easy as it sounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of rinks. Too many. Really watered down local hockey. They need to fix older rinks like Bowie and Mt Vernon. Maybe add a sheet to Reston.

I believe the Bowie rink the city council decided it was better to start from scratch than work with what they had. Which they started, then stopped and lost millions because the council is incompetent.
So I’m not certain “fixing” the old rinks is as easy as it sounds.

It was not incompetence. It was a willful, biased choice to favor a specific group of constituents with whom certain new government officials identify over other constituents with whom they do not identify, AFTER contracts were signed, money appropriated, etc., under a prior iteration of the City government. The definition of malfeasance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
My take on it is that land is incredibly more expensive in this area, OP, than in the other places you cited. Dog owners are desperately in need of dog parks. Schools are in need of more land to expand. We are in dire need of more swimming pools. Everyone needs land for something!

And you know what we're MOST in need of?

Affordable housing.

This is one of the reasons why I think RFK Stadium should be redeveloped into a major community sporting facility, along the lines of Chelsea Piers in New York. Facing the Anacostia riverfront for all the kayakers and rowers. There is enough space for a massive building or series of buildings housing ice rinks, swimming pools, basketball courts, cricket pitches, whatever. Go ahead and make room for a circus tent and circus school. Flying trapeze and contortion as an after school activity, anyone?

What DC *doesn't* need is yet another small plates restaurant that will fail within two years, a pointless facade for a bank branch, or a weed shop. Yet these seem to be the only types of businesses opening. If WFH is really going to be a permanent thing, there is so much good real estate in Metro-accessible neighborhoods that could be repurposed to be destination facilities for ice skating and other sports.

So true. Take RFK and make something like the St. James there.

Awesome idea to repurpose RFK as a multi-sports facility! Do you think you could send this idea to the DC Council?

I love this idea! Especially with the Yards trying to push TSNY out. I know their circus camps for kids are really popular so there’s clearly local interest.

[Anonymous]

There aren't enough fields, rinks, pools, parks, schools, etc. because politicians keep approving more density without also planning for more of the things the people in the new housing will want to use. In Arlington camp registration is basically a sport in itself. The rec sports sign up is as well to a lesser extent - the swimming and gymnastics classes fill instantly when registration opens.

[Anonymous]

Better go complain to Youngkin. He's all about catering to parents who think they are entitled to things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe there would be more interest if there were more facilities. As someone stated above, there's also a dearth of indoor pools in the DMV, relative to other areas. We should really ask our county leaders to do comparison studies and then bring our facilities up to par.

Is there really a dearth of pools? I am curious where you are getting this data.

Yes, there is a shortage of indoor pools, at least in Montgomery County. Same really for DC.

In MCPS, for example, there are really only 3 aquatic facilities for 25 high schools. They must share the pools. So each team is only allowed to hold swim practice 2x per week, to even out the practice opportunities.

The swim clubs are desperate for indoor pools. Some now look to use outdoor pools in the winter, due to the shortage of indoor pools.

At least there are plenty of outdoor pools in MoCo for summer use. (However, in DC there are very few outdoor pools, relative to the population.)

No shortage of pools in NoVA, plenty of high schools and rec centers with indoor pools.

There is a shortage of outdoor pools in NoVA. Waitlists are massive.