There may be more things to do in Anchorage this winter to keep the winter blues at bay. O’Malley Ice and Sports is nearly ready to reopen the Sullivan Arena in Anchorage, restoring its historic use hosting recreational play, hockey games, entertainment and exhibitions, the management company said.
But first, it has to get through an approval at the Anchorage Assembly, which on Tuesday, Nov. 7, will consider the resumption of events at a venue that had been commandeered for homeless mass shelter in 2020 by former Mayor Ethan Berkowitz.
The Sullivan has taken a lot of work to get restored from that period, in which facilities were damaged heavily by the vagrants and criminals that were the overwhelming clients of the mass shelter, established during the Covid pandemic. The clients that were housed there were typically people who were unable to fit in at any other shelter, due to their behavioral issues.
“Having restored productive use of the Ben Boeke and the Dempsey Anderson Ice Arenas, O’Malley is now collaborating with Municipal Maintenance and is in the final stage of repairs restoring the ‘Sully,’ allowing it to resume its iconic use and presence in Anchorage,” the company said. O’Malley Ice and Sports says no additional funding will be required from the Municipality and the taxpayers to return to normal operations.
O’Malley manages the Boeke and the Dempsey arenas, and has the operating agreement to restore the Sullivan.
The company said it would appreciate support from the public in moving the arena back to the uses taxpayers paid for: “Please write or phone your Assembly Representative voicing your support for O’Malley and thank them for entrusting O’Malley to bring the Sully back online serving the Anchorage community!”
To submit testimony go to: https://moaonlineforms.formstack.com/forms/assemblyphonetestimony
