November 22, 2015

Jason Verdugo
Athletic Director
Hamline University
1536 Hewitt Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55104
Subject: Feasibility Study
Dear Mr. Verdugo,
On October 18, 2015, I requested permission to conduct a research study determining the
feasibility of building an ice rink on the campus of Hamline University. In the initial proposal
presented to you, I assured you that the report would be completed no later than November 29,
2015. Since the approval of the proposed request, I have completed the study in a manner
outlined in the proposal. Following this letter, you will find the results of said study.
Developing a passion for the game of hockey at a young age, I have spent hours upon hours of
my time in ice rinks. Memories that will last a lifetime have been made in these facilities. When I
first toured Hamline University, I was surprised to learn that there was no ice facility on campus.
Seeing that Minnesota is the state of hockey and that Hamline is currently undergoing an
athletic transformation, Hamlines lack of an ice arena is surely a missed opportunity. Because
the topic is one of great interest and the opportunity to build an ice arena is certainly present, I
decided to pursue research on the feasibility of building an ice arena on campus.
In order to determine if building an ice arena on the campus of Hamline University was truly
feasible, I began by conducting a survey, gathering information on student interest. Fourteen
students responded to the survey, which provided me with significant data for the study. In
addition to analyzing survey results, I researched the costs associated with building an ice arena,
as well as the space required to construct such a facility. After weighing the opportunity costs
with the benefits, I have developed the following recommendation: Hamline University should
choose not to build an ice arena on campus, for the number of students that would use such a
facility are limited, the campus lacks space for an ice arena, and the costs are simply too great.
Although there were certainly times when I was frustrated with the research process, I truly value
the opportunity to complete this feasibility study. With that being said, I would like to thank you
for allowing me to conduct the research and supporting me throughout the process. My wish is
that you find my results conclusive and valuable.
Sincerely,
Jaime Hathaway
Hamline University Student
Enclosure

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Building an Ice Arena on the Hamline University Campus:

A Feasibility Study
Jaime Hathaway
Hamline University
November 22, 2015

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Abstract

Throughout the months of October and November of 2015, a study was conducted determining
the feasibility of building an ice rink on the campus of Hamline University. This report includes
the findings of the gathered research, including a survey of Hamline students and data from
secondary research. In order for construction to be feasible, there had to be a student interest, a
location for the facility, and a budget with available funds to build the arena. If Hamline
University is truly interested in building an ice facility, researchers recommend that the school
plans for an expansion in property and begins placing money aside specifically dedicated to
building the facility.

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Table of Contents

Abstract............................................................................................................................................2
Table of Contents.............................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Methodology....................................................................................................................................5
Results..............................................................................................................................................9
Student Interest............................................................................................................................9
Conclusions....................................................................................................................................15
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................16
References......................................................................................................................................17

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Introduction

On October 18, 2015, I was granted permission to proceed with my research determining
the feasibility of building an ice arena on the campus of Hamline University. Hamline University
is a small, private, liberal arts university, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. There are currently
just under 2,200 undergraduate students that attend Hamline. Because recreational sports prove
to be important to the quality of life and communities, by lacking an ice rink on campus,
Hamline is missing out on a great opportunity.
Currently, Hamline University Athletics is partnered with Ramsey County local ice rink,
Oscar Johnson Ice Arena, to offer student-athletes participating in the sport of a hockey a facility
in which to practice. Although theses select-few students are able to utilize the facility, the rink
resides at a location off-campus, and all other students lack access to similar amenities.
According to research conducted by the University of Houston-Clear Lake, the benefits
associated with engaging in recreational activities are numerous for students. If one fails to
participate in physical activity, he or she could develop various diseases, such as heart disease
and diabetes (Davis, 2007). Living in the state of Minnesota, residents know that the winter
months are long. With that being said, when few winter recreational amenities are offered,
students have less opportunity to engage in physical activity, therefore, putting their health and
well-being at risk.
Certainly, by creating an ice rink on campus, Hamline would ultimately be offering
students a chance to live a healthier lifestyle. Winter recreational activities could grow to include
sports, such as figure skating, broomball, and curling.
Hamline is currently missing out on a great opportunity. Students lack an ice facility on
campus where they could potentially find additional recreational outlets. By lacking a variety of

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recreational amenities, Hamline is not meeting its full potential in regards to encouraging
students to live a healthy lifestyle. While Hamline University is not currently offering a variety
of recreational amenities to students, the ability to capitalize on the opportunity is certainly
present.

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Methodology

I began the research process by using Hamline Universitys library databases. Bush
Library offers a service to students called Summon. When an individual types in a few keywords
in the search box, Summon will search all of Hamlines databases for articles prevalent to the
topic. I initially searched building an ice rink on-campus; however, I found said wording to be
too vague, for there was nearly 14,000 results. I then re-examined my keywords. I decided to
analyze my proposed criteria questions and construct key phrases from the questions. I searched
the following: benefits of recreational activity and recreational space planning. This time,
there were fewer results; therefore, with great ease, I was able to find sources of assistance.
A peer of mine also assisted with the research process, for she recommended analyzing
Hamline Universitys Master Plan. Upon reviewing the plan, I decided to search Summon for
more information discussing the plan. I typed in the following phrase: Hamline University
Master Plan. The results from this search proved to be important in my research process; I
found a recent article that challenged the proposed plan. My discovery of this article acted as a
reminder of the importance of analyzing both sides of an argument.
Finally, I evaluated my references by determining ethos, reviewing content, and
comparing content to proposed criteria question. Although the databases typically provide rather
credible sources, I find it useful to identify the author and analyze his or her ethos. I wanted
assurance that my final feasibility report includes precise and accurate data, so it is essential that
my research is gathered from credible sources. By examining the source of the article or book, I
concluded whether or not the document would provide reliable information. The articles that I
chose to examine were from well-known journals and publishers; therefore, I decided to delve
deeper into the text.

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Upon determining the credibility of the author and the source, I read the abstract, if one
was provided. I would then make the decision if it would be worthwhile to continue on with the
reading. If the content could potentially provide assistance in answering my criteria questions, I
would proceed.
While reading, I wrote down information, including facts and statistics that I thought
would be helpful in constructing my feasibility report. From there, I analyzed my notes and
pinpointed the information that was crucial to answering criteria questions.
In order to determine if building an ice arena on the campus of Hamline University was
feasible, information needed to be gathered from both primary and secondary research. I
conducted research by carrying out the following tasks:

I developed a questionnaire to gather student interest pertaining to the feasibility of

building an ice arena on the campus of Hamline University.

I distributed 14 questionnaires to Hamline University students in Professor Krista Sorias

English 1800 class.

I analyzed the survey results and created three graphics depicting the survey results.
I gathered information by searching databases provided by Bush Library.
I reviewed peer-reviewed articles in scholarly journals in search for supporting evidence

to answer the outlined criteria questions.

I visited internet websites to learn more about the importance of recreational and physical
activity and how it correlates with success in the classroom.

The data gathered using the methodology listed above was evaluated using the following criteria:

Is there an interest by students to build an ice rink on campus?

By offering additional recreational amenities, would students benefit?
Does Hamline University have a location on campus where an ice rink could be built?
Does Hamline University possess the financial means necessary to build an ice rink on
campus?

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Results
The focal point of this research study was to determine if building an ice arena on the
campus of Hamline University was truly feasible. While there are certainly many issues and
questions that need to be addressed when determining the feasibility of the proposed task, the

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key criteria one must evaluate are the student body interest, the locational means to build such a
facility, and the affordability to the school to construct the arena. Ultimately, by comparing the
research to the outlined criteria, one should be able to conquer with the reported conclusions and
recommendations.
Student Interest
The construction of an on campus ice arena would depend on the interest for additional
recreational facilities by students. The benefits associated with engaging in recreational activities
are numerous for students. If one fails to participate in physical activity, he or she could develop
various diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes (Davis, 2007). In fact, Bredin, Nicol, and
Warburton (2006) stated both men and women who reported increased levels of physical
activity and fitness were found to have reductions in relative risk (by about 20%35%) of death
(para. 2). When few winter recreational amenities are offered, students have less opportunity to
engage in physical activity during the winter months, therefore, putting their health and wellbeing at risk.
Figure 1 illustrates how satisfied Hamline students are with current amenities. Data
shows that just over 71% of the students polled are either strongly satisfied or satisfied with the
recreational amenities that are available to students at this point in time. Evidently, around 30%
of students are dissatisfied with the current recreational outlets offered to students. Since a
majority of students believe that the current amenities are fulfilling their recreational needs, a
researcher can conclude that there may not be an obvious interest in expanding the recreational
facilities in the form of an ice arena.

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Figure 1. Student satisfaction with current recreational amenities at Hamline University.

Figure 2 illustrates students interest for an on-campus ice facility. Fifty percent of those
surveyed responded by saying that if the facility were constructed, they would utilize the
amenities; the other 50% of those polled said they lacked an interest in the facility and would not
utilize the amenities. From this sample, one can conclude that one in every two students on
campus would have an interest in the construction of an on-campus arena. The researcher must
analyze the opportunity costs that come along with building a rink in order to determine if
building the facility to satisfy half of the student population would be worthwhile.

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Figure 2. Student interest in an on-campus ice arena.

Considering that data from the sample shows that students are currently satisfied with the
recreational amenities provided on campus and that only 50% of students on campus would
actually utilize the facility, one can assume that the student interest for an on-campus ice arena is
rather low.
Location
One of the most significant criteria in determining the practicality and feasibility of
constructing a new on-campus recreational facility is location. If Hamline does not possess the
space to construct such a facility, there is simply no way to add the facility to campus.
Upon first thought, one may think that Hamline lacks the property means for constructing an ice
rink, however, by closely looking at the Hamline University Master plan, one can see that
Hamline has plans to demolish neighboring homes, which prove to have structural threats due to
the age of the homes, in the Midway Community. By demolishing said homes, the Hamline

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University property would increase; in return, an ice rink could be built on campus. Another
option, which many other schools, such as Macalester College, chose to carry out is the
combination of the football field with the soccer field (Macalester College Athletics, 2011). If
Hamline were to combine the two fields together, the current soccer field could be utilized as
property to build the rink.
Hamlines Master Plan, written in 2008, initially proposed demolition of dilapidated
neighboring homes to provide spatial expansion; however, Melo (2015) wrote Since then,
changing college, law school and business school enrollment trends has given critics reason to
call for Hamline officials to rethink the document (para. 19). Because a great deal of
controversy exists over the demolition of dilapidated neighboring homes, Hamline might find it
rather difficult to expand its property. Students were asked if the creation of the ice rink meant
that neighboring houses had to be demolished, would they still be in support of the construction.
Figure 3 displays the results to the posed question. Of the 14 surveyed, ten respondents said that
they either would strongly oppose, or oppose the construction. This is significant because nearly
72% of the students would rather protect the surrounding community than build the facility. With
that being said, the University would have to find other locational means in order to construct the
ice arena and satisfy the students desires.

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Figure 3. Student support of demolition of neighboring homes to create ice facility.

Affordability
In constructing any new facility, the question of affordability certainly plays a role in
determining whether it is feasible to build. In analyzing Hamline Universitys Annual Report
(2008), viewers caught a glimpse at Hamlines financial statements. From the report, one learned
that in the year ending on December 31, 2008, Hamline University possessed net assets totaling
$132,150,401.
According to the Minnesota Ice Arena Managers Association, the average cost to build
a one-sheet ice arena is $3.8 million, two-sheet arena is $7.2 million, three-sheet arena $9 million
and four-sheet arena $11 million (Winter, 2014). With that being said, Hamline would have to
invest a significant amount of money into the facility. Additionally, because only one half of the
student population would use the facility, the school would ultimately be spending $3,800 per
student interested in the facility. Based on the numbers alone, it is quite obvious that Hamline
simply does not possess the financial means to be spending close to $4,000 per student on
additional recreational facilities.

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Overall, based off of the results from the conducted survey, the student interest for
expanding the current recreational facilities at Hamline University is rather low. Additionally, a
majority of students oppose the demolition of the neighboring community; with that being said,
Hamline does not have a location on-campus where a rink could be built. Finally, the costs that
come along with building an ice arena are simply too high for Hamline University. If the school
wished to pursue construction, student tuition rates would rise. All three of these elements
combined lead one to believe that building an ice arena on the Hamline University campus may
not be a feasible option.

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Conclusions

From the research conducted for this feasibility study pertaining to student interest,
locational means, and financial means, a researcher can conclude that it is simply not possible to
construct an ice arena on the campus of Hamline University. While additional recreational
amenities sound like a great idea in theory, the students at Hamline are generally rather satisfied
with the current amenities. Additionally, there is a lack of support for demolishing the
neighboring community to expand the campus property. Without property expansion, there is not
room for the new facility. Furthermore, due to the sheer cost of building an ice arena, the benefits
are simply outweighed by the building costs in this case. The combination of all these aspects
together allows for one to draw the conclusion that Hamline should not move forth in
constructing an on-campus ice arena.

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Recommendations

Although a majority of the data collected allows one to conclude that building an ice
arena on the campus of Hamline University is, in fact, not feasible, it is recommended that:

An additional study be conducted with a more comprehensive questionnaires to be

distributed to the entire Hamline University student population. From the results of this
questionnaire, Hamline can identify and analyze an accurate representation of student
interest.

A more in-depth study be conducted that analyzes Hamline Universitys budget and the
amount of money that Hamline typically allocates toward recreational facilities.

A closer look be taken at the possibility of expanding the campus property. Hamline
should issue a questionnaire to the surrounding community to find out whether or not a
true opposition to demolition exists.

If Hamline University takes into consideration the outlined recommendations, the school will
have more accurate information for analysis; in return, Hamline University will truly be able to
determine the feasibility of constructing an on-campus ice arena.

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References

Bredin, S.S.D., Nicol, C.W., Warburton, D.E.R. (2006). Health benefits of physical activity: the
benefits. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 174 (6), 801-809. Retrieved from
http://www.cmaj.ca/content/174/6/801.full
Hamline University. (2008). Hamline University Annual Report. Retrieved
from http://www.hamline.edu/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2147486919
Macalester College. (2008). Athletic and recreational facilities. Retrieved from
http://athletics.macalester.edu/sports/
Melo, F. (2015, Oct 12). St. Paul: Hamline U to hold forum on expansion plans. Saint Paul
Pioneer Press. Retrieved from http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_28963337/stpaul-hamline-u-hold-forum-expansion-plans
National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (U.S.). (2009). Space planning
guidelines for campus recreational sport facilities. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Norling, J. C., Sibthorp, J., Suchy, Y., Hannon, J. C., & Ruddell, E. (2010). The benefit of
recreational physical activity to restore attentional fatigue: The effects of running
intensity level on attention scores. Journal of Leisure Research, 42(1), 135-153.
Reed, J. Perceptions of the availability of recreational physical activity facility on a university
campus. (2007). Journal of American College Health, 55 (4), 189-194.
Winter, D. (2014). The price of ice: Some say Breslow ice center overpriced. Nebraska
Watchdog. Retrieved from http://watchdog.org/127165/breslow-ice-center/