WASHINGTON — Plans to rebuild Fort Dupont Ice Arena (FDIA) in Ward 7 with two new rinks appear to be on thin ice. FDIA is the only public indoor ice arena located in Washington D.C. It was supposed to close this week for an 18 month construction period.
On Tuesday, the Friends of Fort Dupont Ice Arena's Board of Directors sent an open letter to the rink's skaters, clients, supporters and employees blaming D.C. officials for the change in plans.
In the letter from FDIA’s board clients, supporters and employees, the board members called out the D.C. Department of General Services (DGS), accusing them of shifting cost and construction schedules. The letter said D.C.’s Department of Permitting Services (DPS) said the project would cost $37.5 million, which is double the original cost of the project from a decade ago.
“Equally troubling, the 12-18 month timeline we were promised to complete the new facility has now been extended to at least 27 months,” the letter says. "These unexplained [costs] and timeline changes have caused us to question whether a new rink will ever be built once the current one is demolished.”
DPS is also calling for a one-rink facility, instead of a facility with two rinks, according to the board,
Chanda Washington, a communications officer for the District's Office of the City Administrator, sent WUSA9 a statement on behalf of DPS, saying the city is still committed to building an ice arena but the cost of the project needs to be cut down.
The statement says, “The Department of General Services is committed to developing a new ice arena in Ward 7 that residents will be able to enjoy. Vendors that come in at a higher price for construction projects is a normal part of the process in real estate development, and it is up to our Capital Construction Services team to negotiate these costs down. DGS made it clear to the Friends of the Fort Dupont Ice Arena, Inc. as far back as 2020 that the budget allowed for one rink at the arena rather than two rinks in the project scope.”
FDIA's board said a special get-together to mark the end of the existing rink was scheduled for Feb. 27. Although a timeline for constructing a new facility is now unclear, the rink will proceed with that celebratory skate. Board members invited the community to come to the rink on Feb. 27 to "renew our commitment to[...] kids and their families, as we continue to do our part to lift up the community that we have called 'home' for over 25 years."
This ongoing conflict is part of a long process just to get funding approved to rebuild the ice rink. Back in 2014, D.C. committed $25 million to upgrade the facility and add a second rink.
However, years later, some of the money committed was shifted to other projects in the District. In 2019, D.C. Director of the Office of Budget and Performance Management Jenny Reed explained Muriel Bowser's changing financial priorities: "This is not the mayor backing out of her promise, this is the mayor saying we can't spend this money right now because all the money needed for the project is not there and that happens sometimes with Capitol Planning Projects money.”
The FDIA Hockey Club was founded by Neal Henderson -- known as the godfather of hockey. His Fort Dupont Cannons hockey team provides local and inner-city kids with an opportunity to learn and play organized hockey. Henderson was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame for his work in the community and Fort Dupont.
FDIA houses the oldest minority youth hockey program in the nation.
The Washington Capitals are also invested in Fort Dupont. The team provides scholarships to the Cannons players. They increase access to the game of hockey for underprivileged kids. In 2018, when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup, they brought the trophy to Fort Dupont Arena.
The Washington Capitals are also invested in Fort Dupont.
The team provides scholarships to the Cannons players. They increase access to the game of hockey for underprivileged children. In 2018, when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup, they brought the trophy to Fort Dupont Arena.
The Capitals plan to host the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club for practice on Friday, Feb. 25. They will also honor the club during Monday's Black History Night game against Toronto. The players will wear special Black History Night warmup jerseys that feature a Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club (Cannons) patch. These will be signed and auctioned off to benefit diverse hockey programming. In-game and social media content leading up to the game will highlight the Cannons and Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Players will wear special helmet decals featuring Neal Henderson’s likeness in honor of his contributions to hockey.