Less than six years after the Ralston Arena opened, the parking lot, curbing and the sidewalks are deteriorating rather quickly. And so now Ralston city officials are trying to figure out just exactly what the problem is and to figure out a solution.
"It could be too much salt, it could be the sub-surface has some issues, we just don't know. We want to get some answers before we invest any money," says Dave Forrest, Ralston city administrator.
The city hired Schemmer & Associates to evaluate the infrastructure and come up with cost estimates so everything can be repaired.
"It doesn't look good at all and the second thing is that it's a potential tripping hazard. So we want to take care of it for both of those issues," says Forrest.
The concrete cracking is not surrounding the arena, instead it is fracturing in patches, with one of the worst spots right in front of the building.
"It's your front door, you walk up to your house and you have a bad driveway or something you want to repaired and that's our goal is to get it repaired," Stan Benis, general manager of Ralston Arena.
The problem has gotten worse since Benis took over in 2014.
"Oh geez, from the time I got here, on a scale of one to ten, I'd say it was probably a three and we're probably an like an an eight or nine right now,” says Benis.
The city has no official timeline to get a report from Schemmer & Associates but hopes to have something in the next 30-60 days. They also have reached out to the engineering firm Olsson Associates, who did the construction, for any records that they have.
In the meantime, Forrest doesn't think the concrete problems will affect the arena's bottom line.
"I don't think there is any reason to believe that the way this look has impacted attendance or the acts but it's something that just needs to be addressed,” says Forrest.
Right now it's all in the hands of Schemmer and Associates and the Ralston City Council is waiting for their report.
