Ice park nets first profits

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For the first time since opening, the Jordan Valley Ice Park netted a year-to-date profit of $18,762, reported in the month of January. |ret||ret||tab|

And the latest executive summary submitted to the Spring-field-Greene County Park Board breeds more confidence; it shows an overall net income of $29,570 through the end of February.|ret||ret||tab|

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Playoff fever|ret||ret||tab|

But profitability isn't the only good news on ice. The Spring-field Spirit, which rents ice time at the park, has clinched a playoff spot. |ret||ret||tab|

The Spirit will begin a best-of-three series April 12 in Danville, Ill., but because of the North American Hockey League playoff schedule, the Spirit will not play any of those games at home.|ret||ret||tab|

With a 21-27-4 record and four games to go (at press time) they are likely to finish in third place in the division.|ret||ret||tab|

It's a considerable improvement compared to their last-place rank in December. Ac-cording to Ed Beach, director of public relations for the Spirit, the team has posted a winning record during the second half of the season and is 12-7-2 at Jordan Valley, including a stretch of six straight home wins.|ret||ret||tab|

Ice park operations|ret||ret||tab|

Jordan Valley Ice Park Manager Jeff Cumley credits the recent profits to increased public skate sessions during the winter months, aided by Salt Lake City's Winter Olympics.|ret||ret||tab|

"Definitely our public sessions are our biggest core group of customers right now," he said, and the bulk revenue generator at $152,550 through the end of February.|ret||ret||tab|

Through January the ice park has seen 42,481 skaters hit the ice, an average of 7,080 per month. |ret||ret||tab|

December was the biggest month with 12,224 skaters.|ret||ret||tab|

Cumley added that the park is catering to open skating and allots more than 40 hours per week to the open sessions almost double what other ice rinks do. |ret||ret||tab|

"The next largest (time allotment) after that would be the learn-to-skate classes, coupled with the youth hockey," Cumley added.|ret||ret||tab|

Ice time reserved for youth and men's hockey play combined is close to 40 hours, and the leagues have brought in more than $61,000. Learn-to-skate lessons produced another $40,000.|ret||ret||tab|

Close behind the hockey leagues is ice rental revenue at $60,462 through the end of February. |ret||ret||tab|

That figure includes time for the Spirit, the Southwest Missouri State University Ice Bears and recreational rentals. Team-related fees are $145 and $185 per hour, depending on the time of day, and $180 and $200 for non-team-associated ren-tals, Cumley said.|ret||ret||tab|

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Upper-tier management|ret||ret||tab|

Jordan Valley Ice Park is managed by Group 7 LLC, which is owned by St. Louis real estate developer Tony Sansone.|ret||ret||tab|

Sansone also is the principal owner and president of the Springfield Spirit. His partners in the Spirit are Springfield businessman Larry Lipscomb, former St. Louis Blues defenseman turned Blues broadcaster Kelly Chase, Grant Wistrom of the St. Louis Rams and Susie Ma-thieu, a former St. Louis Blues executive.|ret||ret||tab|

According to Group 7's February executive summary, the sale of alcohol which was recently denied by City Council and, probably more importantly, its adjoining sponsorships would have generated approximately $60,000 to $100,000 in ice park revenue. |ret||ret||tab|

The monies, it stated, would have been used in meeting the yearly debt service a roughly half million dollar payment that increases each year, according to Jody Kemp, administrative services co-ordinator at the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. |ret||ret||tab|

She said the debt service will be paid over 25 years and caps out at a final payment of $1.3 million in June of 2025.|ret||ret||tab|

To combat the estimated losses, the ice park is in the process of securing a naming rights sponsor for a minimum of five years. It is the single largest sponsorship offered. |ret||ret||tab|

Lisa Zimmerman, director of marketing at the ice park, said a number of proposals have been submitted, but she could not say when an announcement might be made.|ret||ret||tab|

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Changes ahead|ret||ret||tab|

As the first Springfield Spirit season winds down, team officials already are gearing up for next year. It will be their first full season in town, which means a whole off-season to plan and make some changes. |ret||ret||tab|

This season, tickets were sold as general admission seating. |ret||ret||tab|

Beach said that will change next year, when all tickets will have a section, row and seat number. |ret||ret||tab|

"I think that will create an additional demand for our tickets," he said, "because the earlier you purchase them, the better opportunity you're going to have for the best seats available."|ret||ret||tab|

Spirit part owner Mathieu agreed. She also said season ticket holders will have an option of a payment plan during the off-season. |ret||ret||tab|

"I think we'll increase our season ticket base," she said.|ret||ret||tab|

Mathieu said the 30-game season ticket plans range from $360 to $420, and season ticket holders will have the assigned seats in their designated area at center ice.|ret||ret||tab|

Zimmerman estimates that there are between 225 and 250 season ticket holders this year.|ret||ret||tab|

Another idea to boost ticket sales is to schedule more Friday and Saturday games and fewer on Sundays. |ret||ret||tab|

Beach said attendance was down on Sundays.|ret||ret||tab|

Overall, ticket sales averaged 675 purchases per game. The rink has a 1,100 seat capacity, including standing-room-only tickets.|ret||ret||tab|

"It's the start of something that could be a very neat enterprise over the next several years," Beach said. [[In-content Ad]]