Efforts to get an indoor ice-skating rink in town may be getting an unexpected boost from the federal stimulus package.
Although discussions are very preliminary, state Rep. John Rogers, D-Norwood, said last week he has been working with Westwood Station developer Cabot, Cabot & Forbes as well as fellow lawmakers to see if some federal stimulus money could be used to build the planned $4 million northbound ramp off Interstate 95 at Dedham Street. In exchange, Rogers said the developer is exploring the possibility of using money previously dedicated to the ramp project to build a rink on University Avenue.
The ramp is part of the planned Westwood Station project scheduled to include 1,000 condos, 1.5 million square feet of office space, and 1.3 million square feet of retail space on roughly 135 acres of land along University Avenue in Westwood.
The ramp is also a top priority for Norwood officials who have been trying to get the state to build a northbound ramp there for years in order to alleviate traffic congestion at Neponset Street. The exit onto Neponset Street is last northbound one before I-95 and Rte. 128 converge.
"Norwood's wanted to get that ramp built for about a half century," said Rogers.
The hope, said Rogers, is that using stimulus money targeted at infrastructure improvements would free up money for the developer to build a rink that local people thought they were going to get when Norwood and the YMCA agreed to a deal in 2005.
The deal stipulated the YMCA would lease land from the town on University Avenue and build an athletic facility that included an indoor swimming pool and an ice rink.
But funding for the facility never materialized and the Board of Selectmen last year scuttled the deal when the board became convinced the YMCA was never going to move ahead with the project.
But former Selectman Denis Drummey, who was part of a group that spearheaded the deal with the YMCA, said he hasn't given up the quest to get a rink in town and said he is aware of Rogers' efforts and the ongoing negotiations.
"We're still going and grasping at straws, seeing if we can make something happen," said Drummey. "We haven't given up."
Drummey said the stimulus proposal may be a long shot, but he's willing to look at anything.
"We'll see what happens," said Drummey. "We'll look at anything."
Daily News staff writer Brian Falla can be reached at 781-433-8339 or bfalla@cnc.com.
