NOVI, Mich. (WXYZ) — The city of Novi is considering selling the Novi Ice Arena, a 75,000-square-foot facility that has served as a community hub since opening in August 1998.
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City leaders are looking to sell the arena, which features two ice rinks, and reinvest the money elsewhere across the city. The facility was originally purchased with bonds and is now paid off.
Most city council members support selling the arena to Suburban Ice, the company that has operated and managed the facility for the past 25 years.
"It’s kind of like looking at your car after about 100,000 miles, and at some point it’s like, OK, it’s great. It’s paid off, it’s still running, but at some point those repairs are going to become more frequent, and they’re going to become more costly, and at some point we need to make a decision if that continued investment makes sense, and I think that’s where we are with this ice arena facility," Mayor Justin Fischer said during a council meeting March 23.
In a statement sent to 7 News Detroit, Fischer noted that the city is evaluating the facility's future as part of a broader strategy:
"Preserving and expanding parkland in Novi has been — and will continue to be — a top priority. Over the past several years, City Council has taken deliberate, measurable steps to deliver on that commitment: adding roughly 80 acres to ITC Park, securing an additional 40 acres at Bosco Fields through a partnership with the Novi Community School District, permanently preserving Pavilion Shore Park, protecting valuable woodlands and wetlands, and completing a full renovation of Lakeshore Park. That’s not accidental — it’s a consistent, long-term strategy to enhance quality of life for our residents.
The conversation around the Ice Arena is fundamentally different. This is not about selling parkland — it’s about responsibly evaluating a single, aging facility that is becoming increasingly costly to maintain. It’s important that we assess infrastructure that may no longer serve the community in the most efficient or sustainable way.
We recognize the value residents place on community assets, and that’s exactly why we’re approaching this thoughtfully and transparently. Our responsibility is to ensure that nearly 70,000 residents are well-served not just today, but long into the future. That means carefully weighing whether continued investment in a depreciating facility is the best use of taxpayer dollars — or whether those resources could be better directed toward essential services like public safety, parks, and other community priorities.
At the end of the day, this is about stewardship — protecting what matters most, while making smart, forward-looking decisions that keep Novi strong," Fischer said.
The arena rarely slows down, hosting everyone from young hockey players to Olympic ice skaters for activities ranging from sticks and pucks to public skating.
"They built it I believe in the 1990s. So when they built it, I started skating here," Doug Olson, a Novi resident and rink user, said.
He says he likes where public skate is priced now and hopes it doesn't change if sold.
"I know when I come and skate at noon Monday through Friday, it is very, very economical to come here and skate. They resurface the ice, and it’s good for the locals like me,” said Olson.
He added that he feels Suburan Ice has good experience.
"They’re a people that have the know-how to manage it properly and keep it a viable place to come," Olson said.
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However, Mark Berke, president of the Novi Youth Hockey Association, has questions about what a sale to Suburban Ice might mean for his athletes.
"Suburban has their own hockey program. They have their own youth hockey program. So my feeling was, that's what I conveyed to the city council, if they sold the facility to a competing youth hockey association, it's very, very likely that the Novi Youth Hockey Association will probably be, I don't want to say this in a negative way, but probably be pushed out basically, because that hockey association is gonna want to take full control, have all the ice," Berke said.
Berke said after a rough patch during COVID, their group has continued to grow to more than 200 members.
"It definitely shows a lot for our association and, you know, the longevity of our association. So we're hoping that continues," Berke said.
Conversations regarding the sale are ongoing. The city says there are no talks of the facility not remaining an ice arena that the community will continue to be able to use.
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