CYPRESS : Roller Hockey Arena Gets City’s Initial OK

The City Council has unanimously approved a recommendation that the city join with the Cypress School District in building an outdoor roller hockey arena for youths.

Marvin DeCarlo, recreation and parks director, told the council in a written report Tuesday night that the arena could be built and run by a commercial operator. He said the Cypress School District might collaborate on the project.

DeCarlo said roller hockey is already a popular sport in Cypress, but the city does not have a regulation-sized outdoor court. He said the recreation district does not have money to build a hockey arena, but a commercial project might be possible.

“If the project were to go forward, presumably a private contractor could be hired to build and conduct a program at the arena,” DeCarlo said. “The contractor would charge fees for use of the arena and share revenues with the city and school district.”

DeCarlo said recreation staff members have already conferred with school officials about the project.

“Staff has met with Cypress Elementary School District Supt. Dr. William Eller to discuss the possibility of a future roller hockey arena on school district property,” DeCarlo said. “The site recommended by the Recreation and Community Services Commission is King [Elementary] School, located at 8710 Moody St. The school site could be promising, if the program serves a large number of children on a long-term basis and creates needed revenue to the school district foundation.”

Eller, in an interview Wednesday, said a roller hockey arena project is only in the early stages of discussion.

“We’ve done some preliminary work, but we’ve got to look further into the concept--how it would be for kids, how the community feels about it,” Eller said.

He added that now that the city has formally voted its interest, the matter will go before the school district’s board of trustees.