About Us
Cape Community Arena Group is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 2021 with a mission to plan, build, and donate a four-season, multi-purpose covered arena for year-round, multi-generational activities to the Town of Cape Elizabeth, for the primary benefit of Cape Elizabeth residents.
CCAG provides a space for safe, healthy, family-oriented experiences in our community, including skating activities all winter long.
How It Started: A Backyard Rink Behind Town Hall
In the winter of 2020-2021, a group of residents approached Cape Elizabeth’s Town Manager about installing a community-scale unrefrigerated ice rink. In partnership with the Town, Town Hall was selected as the location. The same residents formed a nonprofit, Cape Community Arena Group (originally Cape Community Ice Rink, renamed to reflect the broader vision), and secured 501(c)(3) status to raise money, install, and maintain the rink with support from Cape Fire and Public Works. At the end of the season, the project was donated to the Town.
Public feedback confirmed the goal was met: a community resource that let residents recreate and socialize outdoors through the winter, especially needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. For winter 2021-22, CCAG helped the Town install an improved rink behind Town Hall, with better site preparation and upgrades to the bench area.
For winter 2021-22, CCAG helped the Town install the backyard-style rink behind Town Hall with improvements from winter 2020-21, including leveling and better site preparation as well as upgrades to the bench area and surrounding location.
The Cape Ice Rink at Gull Crest
In 2022, the Planning Board and Town Council approved a pilot ice rink at Gull Crest Fields, near the recommended site for a permanent facility. Our inaugural season ran January to March 2023 with 430+ hours of ice time. The rink has operated and grown every winter since, and the 2026-27 season will be our fifth at Gull Crest.
The 2025-26 season was our biggest yet: more than 670 hours of ice time, including 400 hours of free public open skate (a 20% increase over the prior year), six tournaments with 600 participants, and programs serving skaters from age 3 to 60+, all powered by more than 200 volunteers contributing an estimated 10,000 hours. That season we also purchased our own chiller, replacing costly rental units and reducing our operating budget by 15%, a major step toward long-term sustainability. Full details are in our annual Season Impact Reports.
The Complete Vision: A Permanent, Four-Season Covered Arena
CCAG remains focused on our ultimate goal: to plan, build, and donate a four-season, multi-purpose covered arena to the Town of Cape Elizabeth. The conceptual design, donated by Waterhouse Design, includes a permanent concrete base under a covered roof with a solar array, plus conditioned spaces for utilities, the Zamboni, and public bathrooms.
Where We Are Now: Permitting and Planning
Following a unanimous 7-0 Town Council vote in June 2025, the project entered the planning and permitting phase. CCAG retained John Mitchell & Associates to lead permitting, working alongside Waterhouse Design on site plans, landscape architecture, and environmental assessments. We have invested more than $62,000 in this work to advance our Amended Site Plan Application with the Town and our Site Location Application with Maine DEP. [CURRENT STATUS SENTENCE — most recent Planning Board / Council milestone.]
Construction is planned in four phases, targeted to begin in March 2027 and deliberately sequenced to avoid disrupting the use of Gull Crest. The estimated total cost is $5 to $7 million. You can support the project by reading our Case for Support, contributing to the Raise the Roof Campaign, or reaching out with questions.