In the News

Brentwood mom tired driving son to ice rink built one rink at home

By MARILEE SPANJIAN
For The Tennessean

When Mary Parker bought her Brentwood home 13 years ago, she planned to build a pool. ''However,
I didn't plan on an indoor ice hockey rink back there too,'' she said. But after carting her 14-year-old
son, Nickolas Palacios, who plays on one of Nashville's most competitive youth ice hockey teams, to
various ice rinks at odd hours of the day and night, she decided to build an indoor rink. It's not unusual
for some owners to turn their homes into mini-country clubs or recreation centers tailored to their family's personal hobbies and interests - we've seen full basketball courts, bowling alleys, putting greens, movie theaters, spas with resort pools and full-blown exercise rooms. However, it is unusual to find a private indoor ice rink, especially if it's attached to a home in Middle Tennessee. According to Custom Ice Inc.,
the Burlington, Ontario-based company that built the rink, it is one of only a few in the country.

Currently, there are four public ice rinks in the greater Nashville area. Every week, there are
approximately 650 figure skaters, 850 youth hockey players and 900 adult hockey players vying for
ice time. That doesn't include the time allocated for learn-to-skate sessions and open-skating time
these rinks offer. For parents whose children play hockey or figure skate, that means a commitment
to drive to the rinks before sunup and long after bedtime for most children. Still, Nickolas thought his mother was joking when she first mentioned her idea. ''I said, 'Sure Mom,' and then just walked off,'' he recalled. Now, Parker's friends jokingly refer to her home as a ''compound'' as almost overnight it has become a popular hangout for her teenage son and his friends. ''I wanted this to be the destination
location for teenagers when in high school,'' she explained. The rink is part of a 2,800-square-foot new addition that includes an enclosed year-round sun room (that connects the original home to the ice rink),
a separate exercise room, full bath and observation/ lobby looking out over a new pool.

Not a simple decision

Parker, a single mom and a Nashville plaintiff trial lawyer, mulled over her idea with Sandy Ray, the Brentwood-based custom builder who built the addition. For more than a year, she considered other options, including building a new house. But after searching for an ideal lot, she decided to stay in her centrally located neighborhood surrounded by friendly neighbors and build off the back on her one-acre
lot. Before the design process began, Parker also considered this possibility: ''What if I decide to sell the home when Nickolas leaves for college?'' Most likely, a home with an indoor ice rink could limit the
potential homebuyers. Ice can easily melt

To prepare for that possibility, Parker designed the ice rink with windows on all four sides so that it could easily be converted into a recreation room with an 18-foot ceiling. The windows are covered with hard plastic to protect against flying pucks. If needed, the ice can melt and drain, and the equipment and observation wall can be removed to allow the 1,340-square foot space to easily transform into a game
room or media room. With a single garage door already built in, the attached exercise room could convert into the home's third garage. Initially, Parker considered using artificial ice made from a silicone-type product that her son had skated on at a now-closed Nashville rink. ''I was concerned about the fibers
flying through the air,'' she said, ''and concerned that it would be the next asbestos 20 years from now.
I also realized that the surface price was not that much different than the cost of installing real ice.''
The cost

''When I started on this project, I had no idea how much it could possibly cost,'' Parker said. The ice and dasher boards cost approximately $25,000 to $35,000, but the final cost of Parker's rink rose dramatically because of the changes that had to be made due to Nashville's weather conditions. ''Especially the humidity,'' Parker said. ''Custom Ice had not done a rink south of the Chesapeake Bay before so a dehumidifier had to be installed because of condensation problems. The windows also had to be tinted to reflect the heat and everything needed double insulation and double moisture barriers to keep the warm, moist air out and the cold air in.'' The price also didn't include the cost of the observation room's rubber matting, the built-in storage benches, shelves to hold the 20 pairs of extra skates in all sizes for guests
and corner shelves for some of her son's trophies. And then there's the lighting - each unit cost $500 before installation. Besides the construction cost, Parker said her electric bill is approximately $100 more than before the addition. (Custom Ice estimates the actual cost for an indoor private ice rink is an additional $50 to $100 each month.) As for the additional home insurance, Parker says there is no difference other than the additional costs to insure a swimming pool because injuries on an ice rink usually are not fatal. To reduce potential humidity problems, Parker considered digging a basement. But when construction crews hit rock and she realized she also would contend with drainage issues on her lot, she decided to build it above ground. This added to the overall cost. Added benefits

With his own ice rink, Nickolas and his friends are never bored. It's not unusual for the boys to play mini games for hours. Even Parker gets out and skates with her son. Nickolas, who made business cards on
his computer and prepared a resume, also has started a business teaching private hockey lessons. His students range in age from 5 to 10 years old. And then there are the home parties. ''We love it,'' Parker said. ''It is so much fun, I love to entertain. The kids have a place to go. It's so unique. Of course,
it's not to say adults don't get on the rink too.''

© Copyright 2003 The Tennessean
A Gannett Co. Inc. newspaper

Use of this site signifies that you agree to our terms of service (updated: 12/20/2002). Associated Press content is Copyrighted by The Associated Press.