“The skills are there, the talent is there, and the ice is not there,” Jennifer Burkhardt told WEAR.
A new $6 million ice facility named the Panhandle Ice Pier is currently taking shape in Pace, featuring a full-size hockey rink, locker rooms, training areas, concessions, and skate rentals, according to WEAR. The privately funded project led by the Burkhardt family aims to open by next summer, addressing a severe lack of year-round ice access for local skaters and hockey players.
- Program Expansion: Greater Pensacola Figure Skating Club and Pensacola Junior Ice Flyers gain expanded scheduling flexibility beyond limited Bay Center event windows.
- Operating Overhead: High utility demands for continuous ice maintenance mean community participation and facility scheduling remain critical to meeting operating costs.
Co-owner Jennifer Burkhardt said that she and her husband pursued the project after traveling to a year-round facility in Savannah, Georgia, for their sons’ hockey games. “They were doing a good job, but when you put them next to teams that have year-round ice, they just couldn't quite get to that skill level,” co-owner Jennifer Burkhardt told WEAR.
Rough estimates place the total project cost at $6 million, financed entirely through private funding by the Burkhardt family. Jennifer Burkhardt acknowledged the financial realities of running the complex, telling WEAR, “I think the best we can ask for is that it meets its operating costs; it will be expensive to run it year-round.” She added that water and electricity represent the facility’s highest consumption needs.
Skate director Kristie Albarran of the Greater Pensacola Figure Skating Club told WEAR that the club relies on just two to three days of ice time at the Bay Center. Because the Bay Center functions primarily as an event center, scheduling conflicts routinely limit practice hours.
The new facility intends to host a wide range of activities beyond youth hockey and figure skating. The schedule will incorporate adult hockey leagues, public skating sessions, birthday parties, and themed public skating nights, according to WEAR. Construction progress points toward a targeted opening date by next summer.
| Facility Feature | Panhandle Ice Pier | Bay Center (Previous Access) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Constraint | Operating utility costs | Event center booking conflicts |
| User Groups | Hockey, figure skating, public | Restricted event windows |
While construction moves toward completion in Pace, related regional facilities continue managing active seasonal calendars.
The Panhandle Ice Pier expects to alleviate similar ice-time deficits in Northwest Florida once operational.
“We just need more ice time right now,” Albarran told WEAR regarding the urgent demand for the new Pace venue.
