The newly proposed Dover Civic Arena could offer a place for Kent and Sussex countians to continue ice skating, as well as boost local businesses, according to Delaware Thunder president and CEO Charles Pens Sr. The need for a new arena came after it was announced that The Centre Ice Rink at the Delaware State Fair in Harrington would be closing May 18. The facility was home to many hockey and figure-skating teams, including the Delaware Thunder, Raptors Youth Ice Hockey, The Bay Country Figure Skating Club and Delmarva Warriors Hockey.
- Yet we closed the ice rink at the fair. Ummm. — Allison Wisseman
- Now, the truth has appeared. Get the public all outraged over canceling contracts and closing the rink, so now, we get excited to give a place to the team and fulfill all the things the original building did. What a way to force what the elite wants and not the public. More houses are coming in our town, people. This is why this whole event happened. Expansion. — Jim Lewis
- Here we go again. How many times have you tried to build a civic center? You can’t even get someone to buy the property where Dover Hardware was, on Loockerman Street. — Sallie Hevalow Seger
- It is going to be used primarily as a skating rink for hockey and ice skating, replacing the closed facility in Harrington. The funding will be mostly private. — Timothy P. O’Connor
- Dover can’t even support a movie theater or a mall. I don’t know what’s happening to Dover. Middletown seems to be growing. Milford, too. I’ve lived in Dover for over 25 years. It just seems anything fun to do is gone. Everything shuts down at 8 p.m., even on weekends. — Eve Mcfadden
- I thought this was supposed to be built in the 1990s. — Julianne Shockley
- That’s right, put a civic center in, and all Dover’s problems will disappear! Give me a break! What will they think of next? — Diane Duerr Partridge
- I hope it works out. — Richard Kerchevall
- Me, too, because these kids need more things to do down here. — Nicole Luther
- They should have built a civic center years ago, instead of a $22 million library. — Bob Hice
- Just what Dover needs. Let Delaware State University or the Downtown Dover Partnership pay for it. They seem to have all the money. — Gary Welch
