The town of Brookline is moving slowly toward answering a question that has lingered more than three years — what to do with the Jack Kirrane Ice Skating Rink at Larz Anderson Park.
The rink has run on temporary refrigeration since 2020 and now needs substantial maintenance, according to Wendy Sheridan Ames, the chair of a town task force set up to determine its future.
The prospect of replacing the outdoor rink with a larger, indoor facility has divided Brookline residents since it was first floated in early 2022.
So the town is starting smaller, with $25,000 budgeted this year for a program analysis to keep studying the best plan for the rink, according to Devon Fields, assistant town administrator for operations.
The original Ice Rink Task Force’s feasibility study, published in February 2022, explored how the town might preserve the rink and potentially expand it into a larger facility.
It recommended that the town use the study’s findings to conduct further research “to further inform the design and documentation process, assess the potential revenue and programming opportunities, prioritize a detailed design that is respectful of the park’s historic legacy, and traffic impact assessments for the future condition.”
The town also plans to conduct a broader cultural analysis of Larz Anderson Park.
History and controversy
Since its refrigeration system failed in 2020, the Kirrane Rink, which opened in the 1950s, has needed major renovations. In its feasibility study, the Ice Rink Task Force proposed a few different solutions.
Brookline could replace the rink, roughly keeping the rink’s original footprint. Another option would be to expand it into a two-rink complex, perhaps enclosing the new facility.
The possibility of building a larger ice skating facility has split Brookline residents.
Joslin Murphy, who represents Precinct 16 in Town Meeting, says she opposes a larger facility because it could damage the character of Larz Anderson Park.
“The proposed project threatens to permanently disfigure one of the last pristine open spaces in an area that is open to the public,” Murphy said. “The construction of a massive, largely indoor skating/hockey complex on the approach to the crest of the hill will undoubtedly change not only the natural character of the Park, but also its use by those who treasure the undeveloped open space.”
Murphy also believes that the town has more pressing financial considerations, arguing that the town should support “those capital projects that are absolutely needed now: substantially updated fire stations throughout the Town, and equitable school facilities to start.”
Sheridan Ames, who chaired the Ice Rink Task Force and served on the Park and Recreation Commission for six years, said she believes that whether the town just replaces the existing rink or constructs a larger facility, it needs to expedite its planning process.
“The lack of progress on this potential project is extremely disappointing. We need to invest in an existing town amenity that’s beloved not only in Brookline or Massachusetts but across New England,” Sheridan Ames said. “My primary concern, as a supporter of recreation in general, is saving skating in Brookline any way we can.”