Ward 2 Councilman Donald Botts is calling on Mayor Allan Fung to end talks regarding the future of the Cranston Veterans Ice Rink, retain the facility as an asset, and study the cost of building a permanent second ice hockey rink at the site.

“The city of Cranston just received an upgrade in our bond rating and the interest rates for municipal bonds remain very low. It is my belief the Cranston Ice Rink is a valuable asset to the city and can only be further enhanced with a permanent second ice hockey rink,” Botts said in a statement.

Carlos Lopez Estrada, Fung’s chief of staff, said in a statement: “An RFP [request for proposals] for the management of the Cranston ice rink as well as the building of a second facility has been previously awarded. Based on the previous award, we are currently in good faith negotiations with that entity.”

In his statement, Botts says the city recently resumed oversight of day-to-day operations at the rink, and it remains profitable.

The “bubble” dome over an outdoor rink at the Phenix Avenue site was destroyed in the recent macroburst storm, and while Botts calls that loss a “disaster,” he believes the situation “offers an opportunity for the city of Cranston to build something better.”

“The ice rink complex is situated right off of Interstate 295 offering convenience for not only for the city’s own hockey clubs, but those that travel throughout the region,” Botts said in his statement. “I am sure a permanent second rink, along with the current one, would be fully utilized by youth and adult leagues for years to come. And would it be viable to include a dedicated curling rink as part of the new structure? The ice rink currently hosts the Ocean State Curling Club and there are many other curling clubs in the region I’m sure are fighting for ice time.”