As budget season gets underway, officials have two new buildings to factor into municipal finances — one of which has already opened its doors to a few members of the community.
The Belmont Sports Complex, which held a soft opening on Nov. 1 and has since been in use for Belmont Youth Hockey, will have two sources of funding, according to Town Administrator Patrice Garvin. The current fiscal year budgeted about $300,000 in the operating budget, she said. That amount has been proposed to increase to $355,000 for the fiscal year 2027. Money is also being built into the facilities budget to accommodate the new building coming online.
The second source of funding is a revolving fund established by Town Meeting in May. With a spending limit of $300,000, the revolving fund — which captures income from rental revenue — will cover part-time salaries and expenses such as the concession stand and general maintenance, according to Garvin.
“That’s something we’re building as we get more information about how often the building is being used,” she said.
Beyond rink use, other unknowns include rooftop generation of solar power, which is expected to reduce operating costs. Electric rates are going up on Jan. 1, she noted. As of earlier this month, the panels had not been turned on.
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“What I’ve asked the Select Board and the community [for] is a grace period of six to nine months so we have a full understanding of how much this rink is going to generate in cost,” Garvin said.
Based on other municipal rinks, she said she anticipates expenses, including staffing, totaling around $600,000 per year.
The goal has long been stated for the Belmont Sports Complex, home to the Skip Viglirolo rink, to be revenue-neutral. Garvin previously said part of reaching that goal is ensuring maximum revenue potential by locking in market rates for ice time and securing long-term tenants, which presently include Belmont High School (at no charge), Belmont Youth Hockey, Belmont Recreation, and Belmont Hill School.
Although Belmont Youth Hockey has already taken to the ice, a formal grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 15, from 12:30 to 6 p.m. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 1:15 p.m., followed by an open house.
As part of the event, there will be a free open skate (all spots have been claimed, but a waitlist is available for signup), games, food, and music. Boston Bruins Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara will also be in attendance.
A full schedule of events can be found online at belmontrec.com.
The sports complex, for which voters approved a debt exclusion in April 2023, features bleacher seating for 208, plus five accessible seating options, and will include skate-changing seats for recreational and youth skaters. It also includes a community room, which can be used for birthday parties or film reviewing, four dedicated locker rooms for Belmont High teams with 25 lockers each, and four dressing rooms for both home and away teams. Locker rooms will be available for additional sports teams.
Three restrooms are located up front, including a family restroom with a changing table. The concession stand will have two windows — one serving the rink and another serving Harris Field athletics. New to this rink, Rink Building Committee Chair Mark Haley said, will be a dedicated office for the athletic trainer. The new facility will have a skate rental window.
