Vail’s Dobson Arena needs work, but what are the answers?

People who know the place know Vail’s Dobson Ice Arena needs some work. Or replacement. But questions about what to do — and how to accommodate skaters during facility construction — still need to be answered.

The Vail Town Council and Vail Recreation District board of directors held a joint meeting Tuesday to discuss some of those options and potential problems.

The good news, according to Vail Public Works Director Greg Hall, is that the foundation and columns are fine on the vintage-1976 structure. That means the existing structure could be expanded.

But the roof needs work and the refrigeration system needs to be replaced among myriad other problems with the existing facility.

The Vail Civic Area Plan — approved in late 2019 — laid out three options for Dobson, from an expansion and renovation of the existing facility to the construction of a new, 55,000-square-foot arena, but didn’t pick a favorite from those options.

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The biggest of the three options carried a 2018 estimated price of $42 million, but that estimate now would surely be far more expensive.

How long will this take?

Starting from scratch would also take at least two winter seasons. Expanding and renovating the existing arena could take just one.

That’s important because residents at the meeting all said they were concerned about the fate of existing programs.

John-Michael Liles, a retired National Hockey League player and former member of the Colorado Avalanche, is now a Vail resident and board member of Vail Youth Hockey. Liles said youth hockey throughout the state has seen “exponential” growth over the past several years, and that includes Vail.

Ice time at Dobson is “maxed out right now,” Liles said, adding that any way to find more ice, and more ice time, would be a benefit to the community.

Vail resident Laurie Mullen is chairwoman of the Friends of Dobson group. Mullen encouraged officials to consider a permanent second sheet of ice, and noted that Aspen and Breckenridge both have two ice sheets.

Depending on the timing, that second sheet could offset the loss of Dobson during construction. But the Civic Area Plan considered a second ice sheet on the former charter bus lot on the southeast side of the Lionshead parking structure. That space is currently occupied by the temporary home of the Children’s Garden of Learning. The facility will occupy that space for another few years.

What about meeting space?

The future of Dobson and the rest of the 10-acre civic area also needs to somehow include meeting space.

Alison Wadey is the director of the Vail Chamber & Business Association and a member of the Vail Commission on Special Events. Wadey said group business is becoming more and more important in the town’s economic picture. And, she added, some groups will spend $200,000 for a single day.

Wadey encouraged officials to make any new or upgraded facility “one of a kind,” adding that the new arena should serve the community now, “and 50 years from now.”

Council member Travis Coggin said any replacement plan for Dobson needs to first consider a temporary replacement for that ice sheet.

Interim Town Manager Stan Zemler said the town will need help from outside consultants to answer questions about replacing the ice and what kind of arena is needed in the future.

Zemler said it could take six months to get the answers needed to move ahead.

The town owns Vail’s recreational facilities, which the recreation district manages.

District board member Bob Armour pledged the district’s help with whatever decision is made.

“We’ll make the programming work no matter what you do with (Dobson),” Armour said. “It’s your property, but we’ll take care of it.”