BALTIMORE — A beloved Baltimore ice rink reopened over the weekend after electrical repairs, drawing lines of skaters despite being scheduled to close permanently at the end of the season.
The Mimi DiPietro Family Skating Center in Patterson Park remains slated for closure, a Recreation and Parks spokesperson confirmed, due to what Baltimore City officials described in a 2025 memo as age and structural concerns.
"I think what I learned this weekend, it's not just a home, it's not just a second home for a lot of these kids. It's just capital H, proper noun, home, it is home for them," said Matt Leone, board chairman for The Tender Bridge and a head coach for the Baltimore Banners ice hockey team.
The rink serves as home ice for the Banners, a program which brings hockey to children in surrounding neighborhoods at no cost.
"The ice comes at no cost, the gear comes at no cost, transportation is provided by coaches, we go pick them up at home. There's only one barrier to entry, we knock on the door, and you open it, you're going to come play hockey. And you're not only going to play hockey, you're going to get a hot meal at the end," Leone said.
RELATED: Baltimore City plans to permanently shutter Patterson Park ice rink
In a memo, Baltimore City announced the ice rink will close permanently "due to its age and overall structural condition."
"Mimi DiPietro has served the community for 39 years, but long-standing structural issues— including foundation concerns, dome integrity, and soil movement—were identified as far back as the 1998 Patterson Park Master Plan," the city memo reads.
The city said Mount Pleasant Ice Arena, another city-operated rink, would accommodate the Banners and some of the Boys Latin hockey team's practice time. Leone pointed out that arena is located 25 minutes north of McElderry Park and Ellwood Park, the neighborhoods the Banners program serves.
Leone is still working with local leaders to find alternatives to permanent closure.
"We appreciate it's a big effort, it's a big capital lift. We've been doing everything we can to not just identify a problem but identify some solutions. We've been talking to architects, we've been talking to contractors, we've been looking at what different funding models would look like. And we're bringing that to city leaders, and to their credit, city leaders are listening to us," Leone told WMAR-2 News.
The city estimates a new arena would cost $5 million to $10 million. Baltimore's Recreation and Parks department says it will engage local leaders as it explores options beyond 2026.
"The original construction of Mimi DiPietro and other 'Special Facilities' (e.g., Shake & Bake, the Rowing Club) relied heavily on private fundraising during the 1980s. As City leadership considers the future of Mimi DiPietro, similar funding models may need to be explored," the city memo concluded.
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