MARYLAND HEIGHTS– The Blues-affiliated non-profit group that manages the Centene Community Ice Center could be ousted by the Maryland Heights City Council Thursday.
The St. Louis Blues practice here and many other activities take place in this facility, including youth hockey and concerts. But issues, including financial turmoil, have caused significant problems.
The center is managed by the St. Louis Legacy Ice Foundation, a nonprofit group tied to the Blues. It opened in 2019 with fanfare and high hopes. But it simply hasn’t worked out.
There have been financial problems, including the COVID pandemic impacting sales and the discovery that the facility has not been collecting sales taxes since it opened. That cost the public about one and a half million dollars.
A draft of the ordinance ending the agreement says all of the parties wish to mutually terminate the management deal.
The organization is sponsored by the Maryland Heights mayor and the city council. City leaders are recommending that the agreement be terminated.
Our post-dispatch partners report that if the agreement is ended, the St. Louis Legacy Ice Foundation will formally stop managing the facility on June 30th.
There are questions about what will happen to the center here if the agreement is terminated. We will have to wait and see what unfolds tonight and beyond.
The Maryland Heights City Council meets at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Maryland Heights Government Center.