Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 10, 1993 TAG: 9304100112
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
ICE ARENA STILL A HARD SELL IN VALLEY
The blizzard-related collapse of Vinton's LancerLot last month might have a silver lining for Keith Oxenrider, who wants to build a major ice sports and entertainment arena for the New River Valley."It's been gaining momentum since the storm," he said this week.
For the past two years, the 28-year-old Christiansburg man has been trying to sell the idea of The Snow Dome to potential users and investors alike, but with little success so far.
Even his employer, Virginia Tech, is cold on the idea.
A hockey player for Virginia Tech's B Team, Oxenrider is proposing a 10,000 seat "multipurpose ice arena," coupled with a 1,000-seat field house comparable to Tech's Rector Field House.
He'd like to see hockey as a mainstay, perhaps even to the point of persuading a Roanoke Valley pro team to use his arena for practice sessions and maybe a few regular-season games. He said he thinks he can support the venture through ice rentals alone.
"I'm convinced that there's a market for ice skating and figure skating, enough to support an arena," said Oxenrider, who works for Tech as a lab specialist.
He's also looking to attract dozens of smaller customers, mainly figure skaters and hockey teams that now have nowhere to practice.
While Oxenrider still hopes to turn the LancerLot's misfortune to his advantage, he believes the idea still could work even if the LancerLot is rebuilt. He said that's partly because Vinton is a two-hour round trip for New River Valley hockey and ice enthusiasts.
Oxenrider also contends there's nothing for New River Valley college students to do but "go to bars and study." He believes The Snow Dome not only would boost ice skating and sports but would provide a local venue for major entertainers. He predicts The Snow Dome could book a dozen or more concerts a year.
He also said he's been "getting a lot of support from area soccer players" to use The Snow Dome's field house annex.
Oxenrider said he and Christina Wong, his co-worker and business partner, are spending "about 10-15 hours a week" marketing their plans, "mostly running around talking to people."
He has secured an Ohio architect to draft a preliminary design, and he has an attorney, too.
He estimated he's spent "probably less than $5,000" so far. He figures it will cost between $2.5 million and $3.5 million, so signing on investors with deeper pockets than his is a major priority.
Right now, though, he said investors are "kind of skeptical" because he can't provide them with a hockey or figure skating track record in the New River Valley.
"They don't want to gamble without some customers around," he said.
Oxenrider pointed out that Tech and Radford University hockey teams used the LancerLot for play and practice.
He said he wanted Tech to become a player in The Snow Dome plan by collecting a $5 activity fee from students that would give them access to the facility. He said Tech "very politely but unmistakably" turned him down, even though his own survey of Tech students last year indicated most would be willing to pay a fee.
Both he and Wong remain optimistic, even though they have yet to secure an option on what is perhaps the most essential element, a strategically located, affordable piece of property. He figures he'll need at least 15 to 20 acres of land "on or very near the Blacksburg Transit route or the Two Town Trolley" to allow easy student access.
The obstacles notwithstanding, Oxenrider is firmly committed to his Snow Dome dream. "I feel it is now within my grasp," he said.