It’s out with the old and in with the new for James W. Campion III Rink in West Lebanon, as the second phase of the Renew Campion renovation project is set to go forward.
This planned work at the rink, which opened in 1988, includes replacing the rink’s concrete slab, installing new under-ice piping, and replacing the boards, glass, and bleachers.
“This work ensures that much-needed upgrades can continue, helping the rink remain a safe, welcoming, and functional space for local athletes, families, schools, and community groups,” Hanover Improvement Society Executive Director Jennifer Rickards said in an email.
The newest phase of the renovations has a $2.5 million budget and is being funded through donations and a bank loan.
“We’re still seeking donations for the project, so my hope is that the vast majority of funding will come from the community. The loan agreement allows us to borrow up to $1 million. We have not yet tapped into the loan,” Rickards said.
To help repay the aforementioned loan and support the rink’s operating costs, ice rental rates are slated to increase.
While the increase is described as slight on the rink’s website, Rickards said the rate of that increase would be determined at a board meeting next week. The least expensive hour of ice this past season was $240, according to the rink website.
The project’s second phase follows the first, completed in 2023, which brought new and improved locker rooms, lobby improvements, among many other items, and was funded through a $5 million fundraising campaign.
These upcoming renovations are welcome news to Dick Dodds, who works as the rink’s manager. Dodds also coaches the Hanover High boys hockey program, which shares the rink with the Hanover girls team and the boys and girls team at Lebanon High’s and the Hanover Wild youth program, among other users.
Dodds explained that the rink floor is currently sand, and the new concrete slab will lead to “better and more level” ice that is easier to maintain. Additionally, because the ice layer on the new slab will be thinner, the ice will freeze faster, improving efficiency.
“That will ease the pressure on our compressors and the back room mechanics that would have to work so hard with the sand and the thickness of our ice,” Dodds said.
Laying down the first sheet of ice at the rink to open the season will be quicker and easier, he said.
“Before it would take two, sometimes three weeks from the first time we turned everything on, to getting the hoses out, spraying,” Dodds said. “This, if it’s a week, I’ll be surprised.”
Rickards said the concrete slab flooring could enable year-round use of Campion, which closed a few weeks early this season to accommodate the work. The rink is scheduled to reopen in September.
“I am very excited about how this project will enrich the experience of so many community members,” she wrote.
To find out how to learn more about the project or to donate, visit https://www.campionrink.org/donate/.