FALCON HEIGHTS — Minnesota State Fair officials say the ice rink on the fairgrounds will close for good after this season.

The Lee and Rose Warner Coliseum ice rink be taken down when the current season concludes in February.

Fair officials said Tuesday the ice-making equipment was installed in 1975, and the pipes that circulate coolant have deteriorated beyond repair.

To continue operating, officials say the equipment would need to be completely replaced, and that cost would be prohibitive.

Fair officials also say the 5,200-seat coliseum currently hosts just a fraction of the games it did in the 1980s and early 1990s.

The closing means Hamline University women, St. Paul Como High School boys and some youth association teams will be looking for a new hockey home.