LAKEWOOD : Vacant Warehouse Will Become Skating Facility

Young Wayne Gretzky wanna-bes will have a new ice arena to practice shots on goal next year.

A former McDonnell Douglas warehouse is being converted into a skating facility that will include a professional hockey-size ice rink, an international-size rink for figure skating and ice dancing, and a rink for in-line and roller-skating.

Visiting hockey teams in town to play the Mighty Ducks or Los Angeles Kings might practice at the facility, which will be named the Glacial Garden Ice Arena, said Ron White, the arena’s managing director.

City planning commissioners unanimously endorsed the project earlier this month, but imposed a number of conditions, including security in the parking areas on weekends, signs discouraging loitering and an 8 p.m. closing time for the roller-skating portion of the arena, said Chuck Ebner, community development director.

Ice and in-line hockey leagues, figure-skating programs and general skating lessons will be offered in addition to free skating, White said. The arena will be at Carson Street and Paramount Boulevard.