Developer Jeffrey Kerr, who created the first NHL Skate
complex in Birch Run, MI, with Signature Sports &
Entertainment, "will tee up a heated driving range and an
outdoor miniature golf course as the first elements of an
ambitious golf complex" adjacent to the rink, according to
Becky Yerak of the DETROIT NEWS. Kerr's NHL Skate, the
first ice arena licensed by the NHL, opened a year ago at
the same location and is considered a "Taj Mahal among
public ice rinks." Kerr said attendance at NHL Skate is
"meeting expectations" and that the NHL is "satisfied with
the facility's performance." However, some industry
observers "are guessing" that the complex could lose Kerr
money. JRV Management President Jack Vivian: "You have a
lot of new arenas built that are not doing well, and Birch
Run appears to be one of them. The population base and
demographics just aren't there to make it successful."
Birch Run Village Manager Robert Belleman says the complex
is "doing better than it had the previous year" and is
getting "a lot more use." Kerr plans to spend more than
$50M on the Birch Run project, which will include a baseball
complex, shops and restaurants (DETROIT NEWS, 11/29).
