BALTIMORE — The Mimi DiPietro Family Skating Center in Patterson Park has served southeast Baltimore for about 40 years. Now, thousands in state funding will be earmarked for the rink's short-term rescue.
State Senate President Bill Ferguson, who represents the area, said the arena's closure would be an unacceptable outcome. He said the state secured $500,000 with the intention of saving the rink for another 5 to 10 years.
"It's an amazing asset in Patterson Park, and the Baltimore Banners are just such an all-star team, finding ways to engage kids," Ferguson said in a social media video.
Can the Mimi DiPietro Family Skating Center in Patterson Park be saved? One Maryland leader says yes.
The Baltimore Banners, a youth hockey team that provides free hockey to young people in the nearby McElderry Park and Elwood Park neighborhoods, held a jam-packed game and rally at the rink the same day, an event the team knew could be among their last at the facility they've come to know as "The Bubble."
Matt Leone, a coach for the Baltimore Banners, said playing anywhere but the Mimi DiPietro center would put their mission of serving the surrounding areas on thin ice.
READ MORE: Hockey team willing to drop the gloves for Patterson Park ice rink
Toward the end of last year, Baltimore City Rec and Parks said the arena would close permanently due to structural integrity concerns. Leone believes the arena can be patched, at least for a few years.
"The information that we have available to us," Leone said, "it is a pretty discreet fix of where those structural concerns exist. This $500,000, our hope is that it is enough to make that fix, maybe even a few other improvements alongside of it."
While the long-term goal would be a new, year-round arena, the journey isn't over yet to save this one. Leone and other advocates want to work alongside Rec and Parks to see how they can fix their home ice.
"We still have work to do, but in today's fiscal environment, we cannot thank all of the elected officials enough for making that money available to at least give us a fighting chance to save this rink," Leone added.
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