By Lyndsie Kiebert-Carey
Reader Staff
Bonner County commissioners unanimously approved a lease agreement Oct. 26 between the Bonner County Fairgrounds and Sandpoint Community Center Corporation, paving the way for the nonprofit to utilize an empty parcel at the fairgrounds for the proposed Sandpoint Ice Arena.
“After many meetings between the Fair Board and this group, we feel that this particular parcel would be a great fit,” said Fair Director Darcey Smith, who noted that the project would not impact the county’s budget.
A rendering of how the ice arena might look after completion. Courtesy image.
The ice rink is an idea nearly two decades in the making, with the lease serving as a concrete step forward for the Sandpoint Community Center Corporation, featuring board members Dr. Robert Pierce of North Idaho Animal Hospital, Eric Paull of Washington Trust Bank and Schweitzer CEO Tom Chasse.
Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad commended the commissioners during public discussion for supporting the ice arena project.
“It’s been a long-time need in our community, and I think it’s going to be great for our residents to get some recreational opportunities indoors for the long winters here, and affordably so,” Rognstad said. “I’m here to say that I want to do whatever I can to support it on behalf of the city.”
That support will include a needed rezone in order for the project to move forward, as well as possible city funding.
Rognstad noted the local option tax, up for a vote on the Nov. 2 ballot, could create “a funding mechanism to be able to contribute to the project.”
While we have you ...
... if you appreciate that access to the news, opinion, humor, entertainment and cultural reporting in the Sandpoint Reader is freely available in our print newspaper as well as here on our website, we have a favor to ask. The Reader is locally owned and free of the large corporate, big-money influence that affects so much of the media today. We're supported entirely by our valued advertisers and readers. We're committed to continued free access to our paper and our website here with NO PAYWALL - period. But of course, it does cost money to produce the Reader. If you're a reader who appreciates the value of an independent, local news source, we hope you'll consider a voluntary contribution. You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.
You can contribute at either Paypal or Patreon.
Contribute at Patreon Contribute at Paypal
Coming up this week! Don’t miss out on MarchFourth, A Reunion Concert, a Street Scramble... and more! See the full list of events in the 
