wo Olympic-size ice rinks will open this winter in place of the Lee Valley Ice Center after construction work on the main structure was completed this week.
The new ice center, near Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Leyton, is an upgrade of the capital’s track that was closed after 37 years because it struggled to keep up with demand.
A topping-out ceremony was the completion of the main structure of the new ice center before its opening at the end of the year.
Thousands of skating enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the two Olympic-size ice rinks side by side, with the capacity for annual visits rising to 557,000 from the previous center’s limit of 279,000.
The refurbishment also includes a new gym, dance studio, café and community spaces.
Nicola Goss started synchronized ice skating at Lee Valley Ice Center in 1995 and competed internationally.
Now her daughter Cadence, who also started the sport with Lee Valley Skate Club, can practice at the new facility.
Teams trained early Sunday morning at Alexander Palace while construction work on the new ice center is underway.
The mother told The Standard: “We can not wait. Having new facilities will be incredible for the skaters. Having a little space to do outdoor ice exercise would also be good, and just being back in their home court would be great for them.
“There are a lot of skaters in the area, so it will be less travel to them, but we also attract skaters from all over, because not every track has synchronized ice skating teams.”
The new ice center is expected to boost the local economy by £ 1.5 million each year and create 45 new jobs, with recruitment expected in the next few months.
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority funded the £ 30m project, with £ 1m support from the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
The government aims to provide a home for under-represented groups in sport and young locals in an effort to reduce crime and health issues in the area.
“After Covid, health and wellness are very much at the center of our thinking, more than they were before,” said Shaun Dawson, chief executive of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.
“To be able to provide a facility like this, not far from a train station, with good bus routes. It is right on the doorstep of some local communities in Hackney, in particular, it has a huge potential to have an impact on so many lives. ”
Nearly a third of the skaters at the old center were from a black, Asian and ethnic minority background.
Women and girls made up about 60 percent of visitors. More than half of skaters were under the age of 16.
Mr Dawson acknowledged the cost-of-living crisis and pandemic could affect sales, but insisted that general admission prices would not rise when the new venue opens.
He said: “We are not looking for prices from the back of a new venue. It’s about numbers. If you have two ice rinks that are open from six in the morning until late at night, you have capacity. ”