Looking to succeed
Three is the charm.
At least that is what Spokane Valley native John Baldwin hopes is the case. He is the latest person with plans to build an ice rink: Valley Ice Lodge.
The area has been a Bermuda Triangle of sorts over the past few years, making places like Ice World and Planet Ice disappear. It will be the third attempt at launching a Valley skating facility in less than 10 years.
If he didn’t think it would succeed, Baldwin would likely not be investing the proceeds of the sale of his portion of ownership in a California rink.
Baldwin, however, might have to wonder a bit if indeed all Spokane Valley ice rink projects are a bit jinxed. The sign company recently erected his “coming soon” sign on the wrong piece of property.
Groundbreaking for the $3.5 million facility, located on a pie-shaped slice of land just north of Appleway and east of Barker is scheduled later this month. “We’re pushing for six months (of construction time),” said Baldwin, who expects the rink to open in October or November.
The complex will feature a regulation sheet of ice, 85 feet by 200 feet, as well as a half sheet that will be used for practice and figure skating.
The 40-year-old Baldwin is a Spokane Valley native who attended Bowdish Middle School, Valley Christian School and University High School. He has spent the past few years in California working in real estate and serving as co-owner of the Ice Oasis in the San Francisco Bay area community of Redwood City.
He wants to bring that facility’s concept to the area. And Baldwin thinks he can succeed where others have failed for a number of reasons.
First, the Valley Ice Lodge has location. Being just off the freeway and midway between two exits, the Valley Ice Lodge is already one up on Planet Ice. A person practically needed a GPS Device to find its location east of the Industrial Park.
Planet Ice and Ice World opened within a few miles of one anther in 2001. In order to attract the needed market share to succeed, ice fees were cut to attract business and both ultimately went bankrupt.
Ice World, a single-sheet facility at the Liberty Lake interchange on Interstate 90, closed in 2002. Planet Ice, which featured two sheets of ice, operated under bank ownership and remained open until March 2006 before being sold as industrial property.
Where other rinks charge an hourly fee for ice rental, the Valley Ice Lodge will work on a membership basis.
Adults will pay $750 annual dues. A 17-and-under membership will run $480. Both are designed for the hockey player and figure skater.
In addition to yearly fees, a monthly charge of $28 will apply for figure skaters and include a weekly class. An adult hockey player will pay $48 and youth $44. Those fees will cover weekly games, jerseys and socks.
“We give the skaters involved in our programs a discount on membership,” Baldwin said because they pay a monthly fee for ice.
There is a senior social membership of $480 and a $1,260 social adult membership. These memberships are primarily for the use of health club facilities.
Club members will have access to the entire facility which, besides the ice rink includes a health club, sport court, pool, game room and restaurant, among other amenities. There also will be a variety of discounts offered to club members.
Baldwin pointed out that most hockey programs are seasonal, but the ones offered at his rink will go year-round. He said a “house player,” a hockey skater that just plays locally and does not travel, will pay $600 for a season that lasts four months.
Baldwin’s hockey programs in the Bay Area have a waiting list. He hopes he can generate that same enthusiasm here.