Minnesota State Fair to Discontinue Winter Ice Operations at Warner Coliseum in 2014

SAINT PAUL, MINN. (12/17/2013)(readMedia)-- After 40 years on the fairgrounds, the Lee & Rose Warner Coliseum ice skating operation will end when the current season concludes in February 2014. Today State Fair officials outlined the two primary reasons behind the decision to close the Warner Coliseum rink.

First, the ice plant has far outlived its expected operational life. The ice-making equipment was originally installed in 1975, and the pipes that circulate coolant have deteriorated beyond repair. To continue operating, the antiquated equipment would need to be completely replaced, and that option is cost prohibitive.

Second, the Warner Coliseum currently hosts a fraction of the games that it did during its hockey heyday. In the 1980s and early '90s, the Warner Coliseum was home ice for several high schools, two universities and a semi-pro team that together played nearly 150 games per year in the building. Since then, most of the teams left for other arenas, and the Warner Coliseum now hosts fewer than 50 games annually. Further, the demand for hourly ice rental is about one-third of what it was 25 years ago.

Minnesota State Fair General Manager Jerry Hammer explained, "This type of decision is never easy, but we've reached the point where we are out of options with our ice infrastructure. It's questionable that the equipment and materials will be operable after this year, and we don't want to promise our client teams something that we can't deliver. We owe it to them to give them as much time as possible to begin preparations for next season."

The State Fair will continue to use the Warner Coliseum on a year-around basis by expanding its schedule of retail and special events into the winter months.

The 2014 Minnesota State Fair will run Aug. 21 through Labor Day, Sept. 1.

-MSF-