Iceland Blogs

The Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA) announce on their website today that they have filed an application to nominate Berkeley Iceland to the National Register of Historic Places.  The application was prepared by John English, retired city planner for the City of Oakland and a Berkeley resident, at the request of BAHA.  The application was posted to Sacramento on January 12, 2010.  If Berkeley Iceland is judged eligible for the National Register, this can help in the efforts to fund a full renovation of the historic ice rink.  See the full announcement in the BAHA Blog post

       At last night's Berkeley City Council meeting, East Bay Iceland, the current owners of Berkeley Iceland, and Save Berkeley Iceland agreed to a 120 day delay in the start of the rehearing of EBI's appeal of the landmark designation.  This is a good result and we thank EBI and the Council for an outcome which can benefit everyone.

       There are many complex items surrounding the action that is still pending and the delay provides the extra time for us all to work through them.  This delay also provides the opportunity to explore options with East Bay Iceland which could lead to an outcome that we all can be proud of.

       We also want to thank all those who spoke last night even after it was clear the hearing was not going to be opened.  We are humbled and impressed by the support shown for Berkeley Iceland and the efforts to return our historic recreational center to the community.  SBI's efforts and progress owe a lot to the support from our community.

       Thank You

As the result of a lawsuit by the owners of Berkeley Iceland in their continuing efforts to be allowed unrestricted development of the landmarked arena, the Berkeley City Council will hold another hearing regarding the landmark designation of Berkeley Iceland on Tuesday, January 19, at 7 pm in the Berkeley City Council Chambers (2134 Martin Luther King Jr. Way).  Save Berkeley Iceland will be at this meeting to contest the action which led to the rehearing and defend the landmark designation.  Rather than work within the well defined process to develop historic resources, the current owners of Berkeley Iceland hope that the Mayor and City Council will give them special consideration which is likely to result in the loss of the historic and needed recreation facility.  We encourage the community to join us at this meeting to protest the way this hearing was brought about and to support the landmark designation of Berkeley Iceland, and to contact the Mayor and City Council with the message that we want to protect our precious resources [names and addresses for the Mayor and Councilmembers are listed here].

Berkeley Iceland is a landmark, a fact known to almost anyone who has lived in Berkeley or experienced Berkeley Iceland since the doors opened in 1940. A fact made official in the designation by the Berkeley Landmark Preservation Commission (LPC) in May 2007 and, at one time, affirmed by the Berkeley City Council. The community worked hard to gain the landmark designation through a process that gave ample opportunity for the current owners to make their case. In the end, a Berkeley gem was deemed worthy of the formal title of "Berkeley Landmark." As part of a settlement to a lawsuit initiated by the current owners of Berkeley Iceland, the Berkeley City Council will revisit its decision to uphold the LPC's designation. A public hearing is currently scheduled for the January 19, 2010 City Council meeting - a meeting supporters of Berkeley Iceland need to attend. 

Berkeley Iceland is once again in need of our community.  The Berkeley City Council is being forced by the current owners, East Bay Iceland (EBI), to review and possibly overturn the Berkeley Landmark designation made by the Landmark Preservation Commission in 2007.  As settlement to a suit filed by EBI in October 2009, the Landmark designation will be on the agenda of the City Council meeting on 19 January 2010.  Our community needs to make our voice heard in support of Berkeley Iceland.

Happy Thanksgiving from SBI!

Holiday time is here again as are the memories of how the season was celebrated at Berkeley Iceland.  From the Big Ice - Cal v. Stanford hockey match - to the skating shows put on by the skating school - which ended with the audience joining the performers on ice - to the holiday parties held in Berkeley Iceland, thousands of people remember how special this time of year was at Berkeley Iceland.  What made Berkeley Iceland so special in our memories - special enough to expend the time, energy and money to reopen it?