See inside the new, $20 million ice arena in the Town of Tonawanda

TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) — In just a couple weeks, the new $20 million Paddock Chevrolet Ice Arena in the Town of Tonawanda will open where the former Brighton Pool once stood. News 4 received a tour of the space ahead of its grand opening.

“Pools just are not as popular as they were when I was a kid,” Councilman Carl Szarek said.

Szarek and Councilman Tim Hennessy showed News 4 the new arena. Szarek said the former pool needed $2 million in upgrades, and with pool popularity draining, they decided to build a new ice rink instead. Mang Pool and Lincoln Pool are still operating in the town.

The arena will have more amenities than the previous rinks in the town, including more seating, showers, and better food options.

“There’s seating for 660 people downstairs, and another couple hundred upstairs in our mezzanine level,” Szarek said.

The arena will boast four locker rooms with showers, including a designated locker room for refs, and women playing in co-ed leagues. Skate sharpening can also be done right there.

“Or if you need laces or tape or things like that, we’ll have a little shop here, so you can get all that stuff right here,” Hennessy said.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served inside, along with beer and wine for adults.

“And we’ve been working with the vendor,” Hennessy said. “He’s going to put QR codes up on the tables up on the mezzanine there, so you can scan and order right from your table and not even have to go down and wait in line, and then come down and pick up your food when it’s ready.”

The entire arena, from the stands to the ice itself will also be accessible. There will be elevators to the mezzanine level and two handicap-accessible benches that features doors flat to the ice surface and clear plexiglass boards.

Brighton Park Golf Club in Tonawanda may be cut down to 12 holes

The Paddock Chevrolet Ice Rink will be the only rink in town in the future. The former Lincoln Park ice rink was recently turned into a fieldhouse with artificial turf. And Brighton Arena will get demolished. Szarek said this one rink will better suit tournaments and will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The town will also bring back a travel team in the future.

“We got some skaters, some of the older guys, that belong to teams that come here at 1 or 2 in the morning and skate,” Szarek said. “And then we’ll open in the morning for high schools to practice before school.”

Ken-Ton residents will get first dibs at renting ice time. Otherwise, it’s a public space and rentals will cost the same whether you’re a town resident or not.

“The prices are a lot cheaper than anywhere else,” Szarek said, in reference to renting ice time.

To build the massive space, some federal COVID money was used, the state provided $2 million, and Paddock Chevrolet is paying nearly $4 million for the naming rights. Those naming rights continue across the street in Paddock Park, where a splash park, pickleball courts, sand volleyball, rugby pitch, winter sledding hill and grove picnic area are being built.

We’re told the grove area will be available to be rent in the future. There are also bathrooms and a changing area going up, turning into a destination for families.

“One of my goals is to bring families back to the Town of Tonawanda,” Szarek said. “We used to have 110,000-120,000 residents and we’re down to like 74,000.”

“For sports and people who like the outdoors and like to be active, you can do everything on this street,” Hennessy said.

No specific date has been set for an ice rink opening, but we’re told it will be in the next couple of weeks. The park is expected to open in early July.

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Kelsey Anderson is an award-winning anchor who came back home to Buffalo in 2018. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter.

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