Courtesy / Six Rivers Youth Sports
The fallen dome property is seen here from the Six Rivers Youth Sports facility.
Updated: May 24, 2023
NHL-size ice arena and turf field expected to grow Topsham as recreation destination
Courtesy / Six Rivers Youth Sports
Field hockey players practice at Six Rivers Youth Sports facility in Topsham. An expansion is planned.
Six Rivers is able to purchase the dome lot debt-free, thanks to local donations and fundraisers. To date, $1.3 million has been raised to finance construction of the ice arena.
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Six Rivers Youth Sports has signed a purchase and sale agreement for a parcel at 20 Atwood Road in Topsham that formerly housed a sports dome.
The property was the home of the Topsham Sports Dome which, until recently, covered a turf soccer field. The dome had reached the end of its lifespan and collapsed in January during a heavy snowstorm.
The deal is expected to be a good spot for the nonprofit to resurrect the property’s turf field and also build a National Hockey League-size ice arena. The acquisition was financed through local donations and fundraisers, allowing Six Rivers to purchase the dome lot debt-free. To date, $1.3 million has been raised to finance construction of the ice arena. The budget to build an enclosed ice arena and update facilities is expected to be $5 million, said Six Rivers project manager Chelsea Bickford.
Phase one
Originally chartered as Midcoast Ice LLC in 2019 as a subsidiary of Midcoast Youth Hockey Association, Six Rivers Youth Sports is now incorporated as a fully independent nonprofit as of 2021, with a focus on providing a new ice arena to meet the severe shortage of ice time for area school and recreational hockey teams, as well as the local figure skating community and public ice skating.
The mission has since expanded to meet the need and create opportunities for virtually every type of active sports and recreation in the region. Six Rivers Youth Sports serves 15 communities from Freeport to Richmond and from Lisbon to Woolwich and beyond.
The 20 Atwood Road location was once a single property of about 12 acres until 2021. That December, Six Rivers Youth Sports bought a 7-acre portion that included the former Roller World building.
The facility is now operated by Six Rivers as an indoor turf field used by more than 400 school-age children each week from over a dozen recreational groups and athletic teams.
Plans are also in place to build an NHL-size ice arena on the site.
Phase two
The remaining 5.4 acres, including the spot where the dome once stood, remained with Seacoast United Sports Club until now.
The purchase will add the 5.4-acre lot and a full-size outdoor turf field.
The price of the property was not disclosed.
Six Rivers will clean up the fallen dome immediately and make the turf field safe and available to community groups prior to the fall sports season.
“The additional acreage will create new ways to partner with local groups interested in redeveloping this land to help meet the growing demand for recreational space that nurtures well-being and benefits our youth and all community members,” said Bickford. “There is a real need to provide facilities for our youth to be active, especially to promote physical and mental health.”
Topsham Town Manager Derek Scrapchansky lauded Six Rivers for its investment and development.
“The proposed ice rink and improved recreation facilities would be valuable additions to Topsham and provide numerous benefits to the area,” said Scrapchansky.
In addition to increasing opportunities for residents to engage in physical activity and serving as a gathering place, “the facilities would also provide economic benefits for our community by attracting visitors from neighboring areas, leading to increased business for local restaurants and shops,” he added.
The turf field was the foundation of the dome, noted Jim Wade, who has operated soccer and other programs at the dome for decades.
“We can really use a turf field that all of Topsham and the surrounding towns can enjoy,” said Wade. Six Rivers said it plans to continue fundraising for the ice arena and enhancements to the existing facility and campus, including renovated restrooms, energy efficiency systems and improved parking.
Planned improvements are expected to enable expanded use by groups that are currently limited in accessing the facilities.
Plans are in the works to open the ice arena in the fall of 2025.
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