It’s Souls vs. Skates in Irvine

A Jewish congregation’s attempt to buy the failing Irvine Ice Arena and transform it into a synagogue has escalated into an emotional battle, with protesters picketing before Friday night services and accusations of anti-Semitism.

“Religion and kids recreation--those are probably the most sensitive things you can think about,” said Steve Coonan, who with his wife, Linda, operates the ice rink at Michelson Drive and Harvard Avenue near UC Irvine.

University Synagogue, which has outgrown the space it has rented from Irvine United Church of Christ for 10 years, bought the Irvine Ice Arena property in May. Escrow closes in mid-August, when the process of transforming the 38,000-square-foot red barn into a synagogue will begin. Neither University Synagogue officials nor the lawyer for the owners would say how much the land was selling for. The Coonans say the price is $6.4 million.

The temple never would have had the opportunity to buy the building if the 3-year-old ice rink weren’t in such desperate financial straits. Rick Augustini, lawyer for the property owners, said the operators owe $400,000 to $600,000 in back rent.

The owners--Irvine Recreation Park--terminated the Coonans’ lease Feb. 18 and they are in a month-to-month arrangement.

“We’re owed a bunch of money,” Augustini said. “We’ve waited a long time, and Mr. Coonan hasn’t been able to operate the arena at a profit. We’re sorry about it, but it’s not our fault.”

Close to tears, Linda Coonan said in recent days she was still hoping to save the rink. Somehow, she thought, with attention focused on her business, a new investor would come along, although none had in the past. And she hoped officials from the city and synagogue could find another piece of land.

“Why can’t we all sit down and figure it out?” she said.

Her husband had a more fatalistic attitude. “It’s all over now for this property,” he said. “Say we managed to do nothing but [anger] the synagogue, and they go away. Then what?”

The couple acknowledges that the same money problems would be there.

Steve Coonan, who previously owned a medical supply manufacturing business, said the financial problems have been caused by an unfavorable bank loan--”I knew that going in”--and revenue of $600,000 less annually than expected. He has not been able to refinance the loan.

Linda Coonan said the facility has one of the highest incomes of any ice rink in the country. There are hockey leagues and ice skating lessons. There is an extensive gym and a Pizza Hut franchise. At a recent lunchtime, eight men were playing pickup hockey. Sixty campers from the Jewish Community Center in Costa Mesa were upstairs eating lunch after spending the morning ice skating.

One of the noon hockey players, Larry Wheelock, who also volunteers as a coach, said he and his kids spend much of their time at the rink. “It’s a huge part of my life,” he said. “It’s a huge part of a lot of people’s lives.”

The ice rink owners and their supporters have been trying to build community support for their business for the past several weeks. They’ve circulated petitions calling on the City Council to rezone the property to prohibit churches, but the city attorney has told council members it’s a private matter and they should stay out.

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Other tactics have caused concern among temple members. Fliers labeling “University Synagogue” with a circle and slash through it--the international symbol for no--were posted. And as the congregation arrived for Friday night services July 14, they were greeted with pickets, some carrying American flags.

“These are things that people have told me they are interpreting as anti-Semitic,” said Art Lipton, a retired business executive who is president of the synagogue.

Because of those charges, the Coonans have changed their tactics. “I heard some talk about our stuff being anti-Semitic,” Steve Coonan said. “That kind of hurt my feelings a little.”

The fliers have been taken down. A new poster with a hockey player and a figure skater says, “We hope you find a new home, but please don’t take ours.”

Linda Coonan defended the protests outside the synagogue. “What else are we to do to let them know how we feel?”

The Coonans also have threatened a lawsuit against the synagogue. A draft lawsuit has been circulated with the notation, “Members--Should we do this? What do you think?”

Talk of a lawsuit angered Augustini, attorney for the property owners.

“In order to do anything to keep the sale from going forward, [Steve Coonan] has to show he has a right to be there,” the lawyer said. “As of now, he has no right to be there. He’s there because we allow him to operate the business.”

University Synagogue is moving into an area in which three temples would be located within half a mile or so of each other. Beth Jacob is Orthodox, Shir Ha-Ma’alot, which took over a building that once was a health spa, is Reform. University is the county’s only Reconstructionist congregation, a liberal form of Judaism.

University, whose congregation includes 440 families, has leased space from the Church of Christ for the last 10 years. About five years ago, members began looking for their own building.

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Augustini said the owners of the ice rink property tried unsuccessfully to help the Coonans find investors or a buyer. It wasn’t until the ice rink’s lease went month to month that the first contact was made with the temple, he said.

“I personally do not like idea that the ice rink is going to be shut down,” Lipton said, “but our purchase of the ice rink has nothing to do with shutting it down. It’s not financially viable. Even if University Synagogue didn’t come along, someone else was going to buy this property.”

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Houses of Worship

When the sale of Irvine Ice Arena is completed and University Synagogue moves from its rented space at Irvine Unified Church of Christ, three temples will sit within half a mile of each other.