About us
Cape Community Arena Group is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2021 with one mission: plan, build, and donate a four-season, multi-purpose covered arena to the Town of Cape Elizabeth. While we work toward it, we run the rink that keeps our community skating all winter.
How we got here
From a backyard rink behind Town Hall to a permitted path toward a permanent arena, every step powered by volunteers.
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Winter 2020 to 2021
A backyard rink behind Town Hall
A group of residents approached the Town Manager about a community-scale outdoor rink, formed a non-profit, and secured 501(c)(3) status to raise the money and run it, with support from Cape Fire and Public Works. In a pandemic winter, it gave residents a safe place to be outside together. At season's end, the rink was donated to the Town.
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Winter 2021 to 2022
Same backyard, better rink
CCAG helped the Town rebuild the rink behind Town Hall with proper leveling, better site preparation, and an upgraded bench area.
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January 2023
The pilot at Gull Crest
With Planning Board and Town Council approval, the rink moved to Gull Crest Fields, near the recommended site for a permanent facility. The inaugural season delivered more than 430 hours of ice.
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June 2025
A unanimous vote forward
The Town Council voted 7 to 0 to move the permanent arena project into planning and permitting. CCAG retained John Mitchell & Associates to lead permitting, alongside the design work donated by Waterhouse Design.
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Season 2025 to 2026
Our biggest season, and our own chiller
More than 670 hours of ice, including 400 hours of free public skate, six tournaments with 600 participants, and programs for skaters from age 3 to 60+, powered by 200+ volunteers giving an estimated 10,000 hours. Buying our own chiller cut the operating budget by 15%. The numbers live in our season impact reports.
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July 2026
Design and business plan before the Town Council
We presented the full project design, business plan, and four-phase construction plan at a Town Council workshop. The Council indicated support for extending our Memorandum of Understanding, which lets the Planning Board review continue. Before ground breaks, CCAG and the Town will set a final construction and operation agreement covering the lease and maintenance responsibilities.
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Target: March 2027
Construction begins
Four phases over four years, deliberately sequenced so Gull Crest stays open and usable throughout. Phase one is heavy on site improvements the whole town benefits from: expanded parking, relocated storage, and upgraded stormwater management. The full project is estimated at $5 to $7 million.
The complete vision
A four-season, multi-purpose covered arena, built by this community and donated to the Town of Cape Elizabeth.
The conceptual design, donated by Waterhouse Design, puts a permanent concrete base under a covered roof with a solar array, plus conditioned spaces for utilities, the Zamboni, and public bathrooms. Skating all winter, and courts, camps, events, and gatherings the rest of the year.
Once built, the arena becomes a town amenity, owned and managed by Cape Elizabeth for its residents.
Where we are right now
In permitting. We have invested more than $62,000 advancing our Amended Site Plan Application with the Town and our Site Location Application with Maine DEP, so the project meets every town and state requirement. Construction is targeted to begin in March 2027.
Help us finish the story
The rink exists because this community built it. The arena will too.