PORT HURON —If city officials in this St. Clair County community took note of an October 13 story in the Times Herald by reporter Joe Follick, they will look across the state to Muskegon for a model plan for privatizing the management of their ice arena.
Follick’s article contrasted Port Huron’s McMorran Arena with Muskegon’s L. C. Walker Arena. McMorran, managed by city government, is awash in red ink and has received almost $4 million in taxpayer subsidies since 1990. Despite this, it still needs major capital improvements. Walker, managed since 1987 by a private company that owns the United Hockey League, has usually turned a profit. Prior to 1987, the Walker Arena was run by the city of Muskegon and, like Port Huron’s McMorran, incurred substantial losses.
Speaking of the privately managed and recently renovated Muskegon facility, manager Neil Hawryliw was quoted in the Follick article as saying, "We had wooden bleachers and straight-back wooden chairs. Now we have more than 6,000 cushioned seats."
