PALM BEACH, Fla., March 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The renowned Palm
Beach Ice Works (PBIW), an Olympic-style ice rink located in
West Palm Beach, embarks on a new
chapter. After 15 years of leadership, philanthropist Lori Alf has sold the Palm Beach Breakers
youth hockey and ice-skating program to Larry Robbins and Longwood Hockey, while also
leasing the Palm Beach Ice Works space. Under a comprehensive
five-year lease agreement, Rob
Laferriere, President of Longwood Hockey, assumes
responsibility for overseeing all aspects of rink operations and
the hockey program in tandem with the current leadership.
For the Alf family, Palm Beach Ice Works holds deep personal
significance, which they built for their three children to pursue
figure skating and hockey training. With their children now grown,
the Alf family opted to list the property for sale and or
lease with luxury real estate agents Senada Adžem and Paul Bergman of Douglas
Elliman. Their priority was to find a suitable partner who
would continue the family's legacy in West Palm Beach. Ms. Alf and Mr. Robbins are
dedicated to promoting the development of figure skating and hockey
in Palm Beach. They see this
transition as the beginning of a new era for PBIW, marked by a
continued commitment to growth.
After over a year of searching, Longwood Hockey was identified as a
perfect partner. Larry Robbins
dedication and passion for both on-ice skills development and
character building distinguished him as the ideal candidate to
perpetuate and enhance the Alf family's efforts in bringing the joy
of figure skating and hockey to the Palm Beach
community. Mr. Robbins brings an extensive coaching
background spanning 18 years of coaching youth hockey at the North
Jersey Avalanche, which flourished into the country's leading
Midget Hockey program. Larry's teams reached nationals 11
times and produced 75 Division 1 College Hockey players in the past
seven years alone. Recently, he has focused on coaching
Mite hockey for children aged 8 and under, fostering an early
passion and love for the game among the youngest participants.
In 2015, Larry acquired the USHL's Chicago Steel and
transformed the program into the nation's premier junior hockey
program, nurturing talents like Owen
Powers, Adam Fantilli, and
Macklin Celebrini, all former #1, #3, and projected #1 picks
in three of the last four NHL drafts.
Beyond his achievements in business, Mr. Robbins is dedicated to
philanthropic endeavors that prioritize educational excellence and
character development, as evidenced by his support
for organizations such as Hockey in Harlem and the Sled
Rangers. In 2018 he was honored alongside NHL commissioner
Gary Bettman by the Positive
Coaching Alliance for their shared commitment to character
development in both youth hockey and the broader
community.
This transaction marks the beginning of Larry, Rob, and the
Longwood team's efforts to
revolutionize hockey in South
Florida, with plans to invest in additional facilities and
recruit top-tier coaches to establish the state as a center
for on-ice development excellence. In keeping with their consistent
approach, they will be organizing free youth clinics later at PBIW
in March, featuring prominent guest coaches as a welcoming gesture
to the community.
About Douglas Elliman Inc.
Douglas Elliman Inc. (NYSE:
DOUG, "Douglas Elliman") owns
Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC, which is one of the largest
residential brokerage companies in the
United States with operations in New York, Florida, California, Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. In addition, Douglas Elliman sources, uses and invests in
early-stage, disruptive property technology ("PropTech") solutions
and companies and provides other real estate services, including
development marketing, property management and settlement and
escrow services in select markets. Additional information
concerning Douglas Elliman Realty is available on its
website, www.elliman.com.
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SOURCE Douglas Elliman