Cedar Rapids council, RoughRiders sign new 5-year agreement; mayor open to selling Ice Arena to team

The City Council this week signed off on a new five-year agreement with the owner of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders hockey team, and Mayor Ron Corbett singled out one feature of the agreement he liked best - the option to sell the city's 10-year-old Ice Arena to the hockey team.

“I think that's a pretty good idea,” Corbett said at this week's regular council meeting.

Patrick DePalma, chairman of the city's Five Seasons Facilities Commission, said the commission and the team owner, Newco Riders LLC, “are continuing those discussions.”

Newco Riders is a six-member ownership group that includes RoughRiders head coach/general manager Mark Carlson and his wife. The group purchased the club a year ago from a group of Chicago businessmen.