Olomouc will repair the ice surface of the winter stadium next year

OLOMOUC - The ice hockey players, figure skaters, and the public in Olomouc will skate on a new ice surface at the local winter sports stadium starting next season. The reconstruction will cost 26 million crowns. The costs will be covered by the city hall, which has owned the stadium since last year.
Deputy Mayor Miroslav Petřík told ČTK that the poor condition of the ice surface necessitates the repair. Hockey and figure skating clubs have been complaining about the poor quality of the ice for some time. They say the surface is uneven and the ice melts in warmer weather.
"We will start repairs in mid-March of next year when the season ends. They will be completed in June, so that the hockey players have enough time to prepare for the next season," said Petřík.
The ice surface will be repaired by the company Gemo, which won the bidding competition. The reconstruction will also include the replacement of the cooling equipment. The city hall's management previously stated that the hall would receive modern cooling technology, which requires 80 percent less hazardous ammonia for operation than the current system.
According to the original plan of the city hall, the ice surface of the hall was supposed to undergo reconstruction this year. The city postponed the repairs due to concerns that the reconstruction would not be completed before the start of this year's hockey season.
The Olomouc city hall acquired the hall in a public auction last June. Even before that, it purchased the claim secured by a lien on the winter stadium at a favorable price. Thus, the facility cost about 11 million crowns.