The long, slow evolution of Concord’s Everett Arena and Kiwanis Park is about to take its next small step: Figuring out a realistic way to add a restaurant.
“This is a long-range thinking process. It won’t happen overnight,” said Nick Wallner, chair of the Everett Arena Advisory Committee, who has been involved with the facility almost since the city took it over in 1981. “We started about this in ’84. This will be a very long, drawn-out process.”
The City Council has approved spending $5,500 for a detailed cost analysis of a proposed addition to the arena, in hopes that they can figure out a way to make additions and improvements for less than an earlier estimate of $8 million.
“The arena is over 50 years old. It’s been well-run but it’s also well-worn and it’s time to start doing some upgrades,” said Jay Burgess, superintendent of the Public Properties Division. “We’ve had good luck with retail food sales, but it’s snack bar food only.”
The project, which would be the first major expansion to the building since 2001, envisions adding other facilities such as more lockers as well as improving and enlarging the parking to serve both the arena and the adjacent Kiwanis Waterfront Park. It is part of upgrading the master plan for the entire Kiwanis Park, including the existing skatepark and boathouse. Long-term goals are to improve the park and make it part of a hiking trail running along the east bank of the Merrimack River the entire length of the city.
“Everett Arena would be the focal point of the trail system,” said Wallner.
Change has never come quickly to the Everett Arena, which is named for Doug Everett, a 1932 Olympic silver medalist in ice hockey and long-time Concord businessman.
The idea for an indoor ice-skating building in Concord was first floated in the 1930s, according to the city’s history, but the arena wasn’t opened until 1964. It operated as a separate entity for two decades but the city had to take it over because of financial questions. It now runs as an enterprise fund, meaning income is supposed to balance expenses.
Best known for its ice skating, the Everett Arena also hosts concerts and other events. All that is on hold, of course, because of COVID-19.
“We’re hoping we can get roller-skating going in June,” said Burgess. “It’s not a big-ticket thing but it gets people in the arena, and in much smaller numbers than we see at a show.”
The coming financial fallout from the pandemic makes it hard to do any long-term projections but Wallner said that’s no reason not to keep going. Plugging away for years is the only way to get large recreational projects built.
“It’s a very long process. Even if it’s down the road, you’re got to start working,” he said, pointing to other examples. “The skate house at White Park? That was the same idea. Or the Parks and Rec building on Loudon Road – that took years before it was done.”
(David Brooks can be reached at 369-3313, dbrooks@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @GraniteGeek.)
