Sugar Land Ice and Sports Center will reopen one of its two ice rinks May 7 after closing for more than three weeks because of mechanical issues. The rink’s owners closed the center April 14 and grappled with either making necessary repairs, selling the business, or leasing the building, said Pritesh Shah, interim general manager of Sugar Land Ice and Sports Center. The facility’s compressors and dehumidifiers were not working properly to maintain ice temperatures. Shah said the repairs would have cost about $145,000 to $150,000, while the rink’s owners invested $550,000 into the building for repairs last year, Shah said. “It’s just an old facility,” he said. “It’s 22 years old.” The rink’s owners acquired a temporary chiller at a reduced rate in order to maintain the proper ice temperatures, according to a post by Shah on the ice rink’s Facebook page. Shah’s father, Dinesh Shah, is a co-owner of Sugar Land Ice and Sports Center. Pritesh Shah declined to name other owners and Community Impact Newspaper was unable to determine their identities via a public records request with the city of Sugar Land. When the rink closed, patrons created a Facebook group called “Save Sugar Land Ice,” as well as an online petition in response to the closing. The Facebook group exchanged ideas about how to save the rink. The petition called for the city of Sugar Land to purchase or operate the facility until a buyer could be secured to maintain it, but the city determined it should not be involved with the privately owned business. Shah estimated that about 100,000 people per year use Sugar Land Ice and Sports Center. He said about 20 employees were fired because of the closure. Shah said in a Facebook post that management would reach out for employment opportunities once the rink reopens. Volunteers have been running the rink while it gets ready to open again. Carrie Gould, special events and birthday party coordinator, said the second rink is expected to be open by May 9. “We would like to send a very big thank you to the entire community for the overwhelming support during this challenging time,” Shah said on Facebook to patrons. “We look forward to having everyone back at the Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center soon.”