State Pledges $500,000 to Save Patterson Park Ice Rink After Community Rally

Senate President Bill Ferguson announced $500,000 in state funding to rescue the Mimi DiPietro Family Skating Center in Patterson Park on Saturday, March 14, dropping the news just before the Baltimore Banners took the ice for their annual "Bridge the Gap" game against Team Huss of Reisterstown.

The money is intended to fund structural repairs and keep the roughly 40-year-old facility, known to the neighborhood as the "Mimi Dome" or "The Bubble," operating for another five to ten years, with plans to reopen in the fall. Ferguson called the prospect of permanent closure "an unacceptable outcome."

"The Mimi DiPietro ice rink in Patterson Park is more than just a place to skate," Ferguson said in a statement. "It's a space where thousands of Baltimore families make memories and our young people discover themselves through organizations like the Baltimore Banners. This funding is a testament to the kids, coaches, and community that clearly articulated what the rink means to them and its centrality to our community." Delegates Luke Clippinger, Robbyn Lewis and Mark Edelson, all representing District 46, were credited alongside Ferguson in securing the funds.

Baltimore City Rec and Parks had announced toward the end of last year that the arena would close permanently, citing structural integrity concerns. The specific repair now under consideration involves the foundation of the rink's pumping room, which is critical to keeping the ice frozen. Baltimore Banners coach Matt Leone called it "a pretty discreet fix," saying he hopes the $500,000 is "enough to make that fix, maybe even a few other improvements alongside of it." The city is still awaiting an engineering report due at the end of April that will spell out the exact scope of repairs needed.

The Banners organized Saturday's Rink Rally precisely to force the issue. The program, run by Tender Bridge, provides free hockey to 40 to 60 young people every Saturday, drawing players from McElderry Park, Elwood Park and other nearby neighborhoods. Without the Mimi Dome, the team would be pushed to Mount Pleasant Ice Rink on the edge of the city, a move organizers said would mean less ice time, no space for equipment storage and a major disruption to their transportation model.

Jack Burton, Tender Bridge's executive director and the Banners' head coach, did not hide his relief. "Man, it's everything," Burton said. "It's our home. This is where we started this program. It's the place that brings us together and the reason that we have such a tight bond and a close community." He added: "This is not a small amount, and I'm very confident that it's enough to hopefully keep this rink open for a little while longer."

Leone, who had been openly disappointed when the city first announced the closure, was emotional after the funding came through. "It was tough not to cry. I can't say I didn't cry a little bit," he told WBAL. "These players mean the world to me. This rink means the world to them. Lives are changed here."

Baltimore City Councilman Mark Parker, representing District 1, echoed that sentiment. "It's life, it's family, it's a place where community comes together," Parker said.

For Thomas, an original Banners player who returned as an alumnus for Saturday's game, the stakes were straightforward: "We learned everything through this ice rink."

Ferguson framed Saturday's funding as a bridge to something bigger. "The hope is that this gives us the five years of runway so that we can make sure that the next investment, the next DiPietro rink 2.0, is even better than this incredible space today," he said.