By Sara Beth Williams–
A two-year ground lease between the city and Capital Thunder was approved unanimously by the Citrus Heights City Council Tuesday night, allowing the nonprofit youth hockey league to construct a temporary enclosed hockey rink near Sylvan Corners.
Capital Thunder, a hockey league that serves 6- to 18-year-olds in the greater Sacramento region, approached the City of Citrus Heights in October, proposing to lease a portion of a vacant, city-owned property on Auburn Boulevard.
In September 2019, the City of Citrus Heights purchased 11.4 acres of land at 7137 Auburn Blvd., the former home of Sylvan Middle School, from the San Juan Unified School District. The land was saved for potential economic or housing development uses, the staff report indicates.
With the Capital Thunder hockey league facing an April 2027 displacement from its current location, Capital Thunder was seeking an interim facility that will allow it to continue operations while making plans to locate a permanent space.
Capital Thunder president Amy McCuaig tearfully presented a case for the lease of the property Tuesday, saying the temporary lease and ability to construct temporary hockey facilities would be a “practical bridge to a future permanent arena.”
The nonprofit serves hundreds of youth and brings families from all over the greater Sacramento region from September through March, McCuaig said, adding that the hockey facilities would transform 7137 Auburn into a “vibrant destination.”
Capital Thunder will lease five acres of the 11.4-acre city-owned parcel on Auburn Boulevard for 24 months, with a possible 24-month extension built into the lease. The league will pay $1,500 a month according to the staff report.
The league plans to construct a temporary 30,000-square-foot enclosed hockey rink for both practice and play. According to the city, the structure will be a semi-temporary heavy-duty fabric tent-like structure with an aluminum frame that will enclose the rink, smaller but similar to facilities used at Mammoth Lakes Community Recreation Center.
Other site improvements are also planned, such as installation of necessary utilities and a parking lot. The league is responsible for the maintenance of their portion of the property. At the end of the lease agreement, anything that is not a permanent site improvement will be removed by Capital Thunder, the city said.
The Citrus Heights Community Development Department emphasized the potential economic benefits to the businesses and restaurants located at Sylvan Corners, as the hockey rink will be located in close proximity to the many businesses. A map shared by the city Tuesday shows that the temporary rink would be constructed on the northern end of the property, closest to Sylvan Cemetery.
“The proposed interim use provides an opportunity to activate an otherwise underutilized City-owned property, introduce additional recreational programming to the community, and support economic activity along the Auburn Boulevard corridor without precluding the City’s ability to pursue permanent use for the site in the future,” the city said.
In addition to providing hockey and skating opportunities, Capital Thunder proposed several community benefits, including building in three scheduled free community skate days, school programming for local schools, Sunrise Tomorrow preview events, and a grand opening celebration in April. Other unspecified events agreed upon between the city and nonprofit may also occur within the two-year lease.
The City Council unanimously voted to approve the temporary lease, with council members expressing enthusiasm for the idea of bringing youth hockey to the city.
The nonprofit did not mention whether they plan to be utilizing the future Sunrise Sports Center complex that is being proposed for a portion of the Sunrise Mall property. Two NHL-sized hockey sheets are listed in the preliminary plans for the Sports Center, and activating local youth hockey opportunities has been a huge emphasis during presentations of the future project. There have been no formal official plans for the Sports Center submitted to or approved by the City Council.
In October 2023, the City Council rejected plans for a 94-single family home housing development proposed for 7137 Auburn Blvd., initiated by Woodside Homes.
Two council members voted in favor of the project, while three were in opposition, citing concerns about increased traffic congestion, safety for kids walking to school, isolation of the new development from other neighborhoods, and opposition from some residents, according to previous reporting.
The council’s vote rejected a previous 4-1 recommendation from the Planning Commission, which voted in favor of the project a month earlier.
The permanent reuse or disposition of the Auburn Boulevard property is “not currently identified as an immediate priority within the city’s strategic plan and is not anticipated in the near term,” the city said in its staff report.
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