Marblehead residents will have four opportunities next week to weigh in on what could be a major change in plans for Reynolds Field, as Recreation and Parks commissioners reconsider whether the long-planned project should include refrigerated outdoor ice.
The commission has worked for years developing plans to develop some kind of refrigerated rink using roughly $3 million left to the town by the late Larz Anderson.
But the landscape changed recently when Friends of Marblehead Hockey announced a $25 million fundraising campaign to build a full-size, year-round indoor ice rink at the Lynch/van Otterloo YMCA.
Now, Rec & Parks commissioners want to hear from residents before deciding whether to pivot at Reynolds — potentially dropping the refrigerated ice surface while moving ahead with a covered street hockey rink and improved fields.
“It’s obviously the people’s money, and they should have an input of how we are going to pivot,” Rec & Parks Commissioner Shelly Bedrossian said at a Sept. 29 meeting.
The public meetings will be scheduled as follows:
- Tuesday, Oct. 6, 6 p.m. at the Community Center, 10 Humphrey St. and online
- Wednesday, Oct. 7, 9 a.m., noon and 7 p.m. The 9 a.m. and noon meetings will be hybrid and the 7 p.m. meeting will be virtual only.
Commissioners stressed that no decision has been made.
“This is really about listening,” Bedrossian said. “I’m not going to tell people what we’re going to do because we don’t know till we listen to everybody.”
A chance to rethink Reynolds
For months, Rec & Parks and its consultants at CHA have been working on a Reynolds plan that includes a refrigerated outdoor rink, pavilion-style roof, new playing field and other improvements.
The YMCA proposal has prompted officials to reconsider whether Marblehead needs two ice facilities — and whether the Anderson money could instead produce other recreational amenities at Reynolds.
Bedrossian said eliminating refrigeration could allow the rink to remain closer to its existing footprint, avoiding the need to relocate parking and creating more room for the playing field. It would also eliminate the need for refrigeration equipment, a Zamboni and other costly infrastructure.
One possibility is a covered street hockey rink with an engineered concrete surface that could accommodate street hockey and rollerblading. The pavilion could also provide space for other recreational programming during bad weather.
The change could also allow the field and rink to be constructed simultaneously rather than in phases, potentially saving money and speeding up construction.
Officials said that under that scenario, they hope to seek Conservation Commission approval in December, go out to bid in January and potentially break ground in May. Construction could take about four months.
What Anderson’s gift allows
A key question is how much flexibility the town has in spending Anderson’s bequest.
According to an opinion from town counsel Lisa Mead discussed at the meeting, the money must be spent by Recreation and Parks on a project in Marblehead that benefits town residents. While Anderson hoped the money would be used for an ice rink, officials said the legal opinion concluded that an ice rink is not required if it proves impractical. The funds must be used for recreational purposes, with an emphasis on winter sports.
Officials said the town previously explored whether the Anderson money could be directed toward an ice rink at the YMCA, but town counsel concluded it could not, because the land is technically in Salem.
The YMCA rink campaign has nevertheless created an opportunity, commissioners said: Marblehead could potentially wind up with a full-size indoor ice rink at the YMCA as well as upgraded fields and a covered, year-round street hockey and recreation facility at Reynolds.
There is also a risk.
If Rec & Parks abandons refrigerated ice at Reynolds and the YMCA fundraising effort ultimately falls short, Marblehead would be left without the new ice surface envisioned in the Anderson project.
“That’s what you’re balancing here,”Bedrossian said.
Commissioners said residents attending the October meetings should consider the needs of the entire community — including hockey, soccer and other sports — rather than approaching the decision solely from the perspective of one group.
“These community meetings are to hear from the community, to give them information, to receive information,” said Commissioner Karin Ernst. “Ultimately, the decision is our decision with the Select Board.”
The public feedback will help shape what happens next.
“We’re going to post these all as public meetings, and just get ideas of how people want to spend this money,” Bedrossian said. “And then that’ll allow us to make our decisions moving forward.”
