Bruins frustrated in plans to fix rink

Almost everyone agrees the project is long overdue. Nearly 15 years after ice skating ended at the state's Melnea Cass rink in Roxbury, the Boston Bruins Charitable Foundation has developed a plan to reopen the rink as a recreational resource in the community.

Trouble is, the plan has yet to meet the state's approval, despite nearly two years of effort by Paul Stewart, director of development for the Bruins foundation. Stewart said he has enlisted the Daniel Marr & Son construction companies, several retail suppliers, and a number of labor unions to donate equipment, materials, and manpower to complete the project, only to be rebuffed by state officials.

''They stand there with all their edicts and legislative embargoes and put up a Berlin Wall instead of having a safe place for a whole bunch of kids to go," Stewart said.

In an unusual attempt by a sports team to partner with state government in a philanthropic building project, the Bruins want to return ice skating to Roxbury as an extension of their support for S.C.O.R.E. (Sportsmanship, Character, Opportunity, Respect, and Education), a Boston-based nonprofit that provides inner-city children a chance to learn and play ice hockey. The recreation center would continue to be named for Cass, an esteemed educator and community activist, though the Bruins want the rink named for Willie O'Ree, who broke the color line in the NHL when he joined them in 1958.

State officials praised the Bruins for their intentions, but said their plan is flawed. As noble as the collaborative volunteer effort may be, state officials suggested, they cannot approve a plan without a financial guarantee. The project is expected to cost at least $650,000, and the Bruins have yet to make a formal financial commitment.

In addition, the plan to name the rink for O'Ree would require legislative action.

''We appreciate the generosity involved and we share the goal of improving the Cass facility for the residents of Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, and Mission Hill," said Joe O'Keefe, a spokesman for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, which manages the property. ''However, the proposal, as structured by the foundation, is difficult to square with the dollars actually needed to complete the project and to comply with public construction and bidding laws."

The state approved a similar plan last year by the Red Sox to overhaul a group of baseball, softball, and soccer fields along the Charles River and name the recreation area for Teddy Ebersol, a 14-year-old Sox fan who died in a plane crash. The major difference, according to state officials, was that the Red Sox Foundation helped to raise $1.5 million to ensure the project would be completed.

Stewart said the Bruins would have every intention of finishing the Roxbury project if they started it. He said he has grown tired of the state's ''lawyer gibberish" and has lost some enthusiasm for the project but has yet to abandon hope.

''All it needs is a little TLC," he said of the ice rink. ''But it's hard when you offer to help and all they do is put roadblocks in your way."

O'Keefe said the state has not closed the door on the team's plan.

''The department has dedicated a great deal of time to tackling all the complicated issues involved," he said. ''If we could make it work, we'd like to. But we're not there yet."