Residents Protest Proposed Ice Arena at Kit Carson Park

On October 7, 2026, a group of residents assembled outside Escondido City Hall to voice their opposition to a proposed ice arena at Kit Carson Park. The arena, suggested by the Rinks Foundation, would offer a 3,000-seat facility aimed at serving as a practice venue for the San Diego Gulls, complete with retail and restaurant space.

Local resident Melissa Petri, a founding member of Save Kit Carson Park, argued that community members were blindsided by the project. She emphasized that the proposed site currently includes four highly utilized softball fields, stating, “Adult leagues play there. Girls leagues play there, and baseball also overflows into those fields.” Although the Rinks Foundation has proposed a $4 million payment to relocate these fields, experts estimate that rebuilding them would actually cost between $8 and $12 million. Following community discontent, Councilmember Consuelo Martinez expressed her change of opinion, now believing Kit Carson Park is not an appropriate location for the ice arena.