By Rob Forleo
Special to the Voice
For more than five decades, the Edward L. Bennett Hockey Rink has served as an extension of West Haven High School, functioning not only as the home of the school’s hockey program, but also as a classroom for students taking physical education. The rink essentially serves as another gymnasium for the high school, giving students the opportunity to learn to skate and participate in physical education activities on the ice.
That educational role is at the heart of why the district is investing in the facility. While Bennett Rink also serves West Haven youth hockey programs, skating lessons and public skating, its primary purpose is as part of the high school’s physical education program. Preserving the rink therefore means preserving an important part of the educational experience for West Haven students.
West Haven Public Schools is moving forward with a $4 million project focused on the building’s envelope and mechanical systems, with the goal of addressing aging infrastructure, improving the rink’s environmental conditions and extending the useful life of the facility for at least another 20 years. The project will move forward if approved by the West Haven City Council.
The City of West Haven bonded $2.25 million for the project. Additional state funding became available after the rink was recognized as part of the high school’s gymnasium and physical education facilities, bringing the total project to $4 million.
Much of the work will take place behind the scenes. The project will include replacing the existing roofing systems, improving exterior insulation and vapor barriers, replacing exterior doors and windows, and upgrading the rink’s HVAC and dehumidification systems. While visitors may not notice many of these changes, they are intended to address some of the facility’s underlying building and mechanical needs.
“West Haven has a storied history with regards to hockey,” Superintendent Neil Cavallaro said. “People around the state who know hockey, know the Bennett Rink.”
Cavallaro pointed to the history of West Haven hockey and the youth programs that have helped support the high school program over the years. He also highlighted the unique experience the rink provides, with seating
on both sides of the ice creating an atmosphere that has made Bennett a familiar venue to hockey fans throughout Connecticut.
The district’s goal now is to preserve that history while addressing the infrastructure that allows the rink to continue operating.
“Our goal with this project is to ensure that the Bennett Rink will be able to operate for at least the next 20 to 25 years,” Cavallaro said. “We will secure the envelope of the building and upgrade its mechanicals, allowing it to operate more efficiently.”
Much of the existing equipment has exceeded its expected life expectancy, making the behind-the-scenes work increasingly important to the long-term operation of the facility.
Michael LoSasso of Antinozzi Associates, the architect for the project, explained that one of the primary challenges at Bennett Rink is moisture.
In an ice rink, the temperature difference between the cold interior environment and the outside air can create conditions where moisture condenses on cold surfaces. At Bennett, that has historically included the interior masonry walls as well as metal components and structural steel.
“It is the same effect you see if you have a cold can of soda and moisture condenses on the surface,” LoSasso said. “That is essentially what is happening on a larger scale inside a building that is not adequately protected.”
The project is designed to address that problem through improvements to both the building envelope and mechanical systems.
New exterior insulation will help separate the interior environment from changing outdoor conditions, while improvements to the roof will provide additional insulation and moisture protection. The connection between the roof and exterior wall systems will also be sealed to prevent moisture-laden air from finding its way into the building.
“We are effectively wrapping the roof and walls with new exterior material,” LoSasso said. “That will help control the interior temperature and make sure that it is maintained.”
The project will also replace the existing air-handling equipment with systems designed specifically to address the environmental needs of the
rink. Outdoor air entering the building will be treated through dehumidification equipment before it is distributed throughout the facility.
That work is particularly important because the rink’s humidity levels can directly affect the ice.
“We’re battling humidity and moisture problems all season in the building,” said Chris Everone, Facilities Director at West Haven Public Schools. “When humidity goes up outside, it affects the conditions inside, which has an effect on the ice.”
The new mechanical systems are expected to help maintain a more consistent environment while also improving the efficiency of the facility.
“Most importantly, new mechanical systems would help maintain the ice and keep the building at a consistent temperature,” Everone said. “New refrigeration equipment would also make the rink more efficient to operate.”
LoSasso said the mechanical improvements are being planned with a minimum 20-year service life in mind. The same long-term approach applies to the roofing work, with the overall objective being to give the district a facility that can continue operating without requiring another major construction project in the near future.
“The goal is essentially to provide a facility that, with proper maintenance and care, won’t require additional significant construction until at least 20 years have passed,” LoSasso said.
The project was expanded after the Bennett Rink was recognized as part of the West Haven High School gymnasium and physical education facilities, making it eligible for state school construction reimbursement.
State Representative Bill Heffernan played a key role in helping the project move forward and securing the additional state funding, working closely with Cavallaro and state policy staff in Hartford to explain the situation at Bennett Rink and examine options for expanding the funding available for the project.
“Considering the Bennett Rink a gymnasium is probably the main reason we were able to obtain the funding,” Heffernan said.
The additional funding allowed the district to expand the scope of the project to address more of the work needed at the facility without passing the full cost along to local taxpayers. Cavallaro said the rink also has to
sustain itself financially and that rental income and the work of district tradespeople have helped make that possible.
“The proactive work that will take place will ultimately save us money in the long run,” Cavallaro said. “It will enable us to continue to provide a service without interruption based on a mechanical failure.”
The project is not intended to change what Bennett Rink is. There is no major interior redesign planned, and the rink will continue to serve as a physical education facility for West Haven High School while remaining available for hockey and other community activities.
For Cavallaro, that educational role is particularly important.
“What most residents aren’t aware of is that the rink’s primary function and the reason it was funded 50% by the State Department of Education is that it is a large component of the physical education program at the high school,” he said. “It is essentially a classroom for our students.”
That role is one reason preserving the facility extends beyond maintaining a place to play hockey. Students will continue to use the rink as part of their physical education experience, while the high school hockey program and community users will continue to rely on the facility throughout the year.
From a facilities standpoint, the project is designed to make that continued use more sustainable.
“By sealing the building envelope, we can keep outside air from entering the building and better control the air inside, which will help maintain better ice conditions,” Everone said. “The new mechanical systems will also be more efficient to operate during the hockey season.”
The district’s long-range plan calls for Bennett Rink to remain in its current capacity for at least the next 20 years. The project’s building-envelope and HVAC improvements are intended to help make that possible while addressing the aging systems that support the facility.
For a rink that has been part of West Haven since 1973, the goal is not to change its role, but to preserve it. Bennett will continue to serve as a classroom for West Haven High School students while remaining a home for hockey and a resource for the broader community.
“West Haven has a long history of great hockey,” Everone said. “We want to continue that hockey tradition for a long time here.”
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