Irvine Spectrum Ice Rink Complex Runs Into Trouble : Recreation: Irvine Co. official says the $10-million project is out of escrow because of financing delays, but its developer says new financing has been found.

A $10-million ice rink complex scheduled to open this spring in the Irvine Spectrum is on hold, a top executive with the Irvine Co. said Tuesday.

“It’s fallen out of escrow,” said Robert E. Williams, president of commercial property at the company, which owns the Spectrum. “There have been some financing delays on the part of the buyer.”

Craig Burns(, chief executive officer of Irvine-based World Ice Inc., unveiled plans last year to buy 4.8 acres from the Irvine Co. to build a two-rink skating complex that would be Orange County’s largest.

Located at Alton Parkway and Ada Drive, World Ice and Sport Center would be 84,000 square feet housing the two rinks, a restaurant and a bar overlooking the ice.

World Ice received a conditional use permit for the project from the city of Irvine in October, but the company still has not paid all the necessary permit fees, which total about $15,000.

“It is our understanding that they were unable to retain financing,” said Sheri Vander Dussen, manager of planning and development for the city. “We are attempting to recover the costs of the fees they have not paid.”

Burns said Tuesday, however, that he recently received financing from a private company that he would not identify. The rink will be under construction in 60 days, he said, and will open in December.

“We’ve just had a bunch of delays, a whole magnitude of delays,” Burns said. He would not be more specific.

The Irvine Co. has been planning for the past 18 years on an ice skating rink for its retail center in the Spectrum, but has not been able to complete a deal.

Williams said the company has been approached by “other operators interested in doing a skating rink down there.” But if Burns is prepared to move forward, he said, “we are prepared also.”