Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the city giving $1 million but not the $350k?
The town decided they needed to bring the building up to code and repair the roof and other structural issues at an estimated cost of $1,000,000. The new operator was chosen by the town, assuming that the rink was in operational condition, with all equipment included. Upon further inspection, it was determined that the rink needed an additional $350,000 in repairs and equipment in order to be in start up ready condition. With the start of the new skating season coming up quickly, the town asked if the skating community could raise those funds so we can make the Fall season opening deadline. CAAA was more than happy to jump in and help rally the community.
I don’t understand why I need to donate to keep a public facility open. Isn’t it already supported with tax dollars?
This is a very good question. Clary Anderson Arena sadly, has fallen into disrepair. Currently, renovating or revitalizing the rink isn’t in the town budget, only maintaining it is, so the community had to step in. This is not new for a municipal rink, as many are supported with public and private dollars. Clary Anderson Arena is now an indoor arena because a group of families got together to pay for a roof structure over the outdoor rink many years ago.
I don’t believe the rink will really close. The city would never do that.
Sadly, it is true. The cost to repair the rink is a big investment for the town, $1,000,000 is not a small amount of money. They cannot fund the entire project, so without the additional $350,000 ensuring they can open a safe, to code facility, they will table the $1,000,000 investment and the rink will not open this season.
I thought the rink needs closer to $6M? Is this just the beginning of a long fundraising effort?
Many thought that the town approved $6 million dollars for the redevelopment of Clary Anderson Arena. What was actually approved by the outgoing town council was the authorization of a $6 million bond issuance, not $6 million in a lock box waiting to be used to renovate the rink. We need to pivot away from the idea of $6 million getting invested into redeveloping the rink on a grand scale and focus now on operating the rink in a professional manner, bringing back community open skates and other programs to engage with everyone, and looking at Clary Anderson Arena for what it is: a quirky municipal rink that’s a unique part of Montclair history that we want to bring back to life.
I heard the town won’t fix anything else if something breaks this year—so is it really all on donors now?
CAAA and the community will be an integral part of Clary’s life blood. The town has committed to maintaining the structure and the facility in its agreement with the new operator. We believe that the partnership between the town and the community will be made more formal in the coming months, however right now, we are looking at keeping Clary from shutting down forever.