Possible Options For Ice Skating Rink Reviewed At Warsaw Parks Board Meeting
WARSAW — Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer attended the Warsaw Parks and Recreation Board meeting Tuesday, Sept. 17, to discuss potential locations for a skating facility.
This follows an announcement made last week by K21 Health Foundation President and CEO Rich Hadadd, who said the foundation is pledging $1million toward the construction of an ice skating facility.
There is a need in Warsaw for more outdoor recreational opportunities during the winter months, Thallemer said, pointing out that the sledding hill at Kelly Park is a great neighborhood asset.
Thallemer said he and Warsaw Parks Department Superintendent Larry Plummer visited ice skating rinks in other communities.
“We went to Valparaiso to look at their facility,” Thallemer told board members. He said Plummer has also been to one in Fort Wayne.
There has been much discussion about the possibility of an ice skating rink in Warsaw over the past two or three years.
“Down where the Indiana American Water property is right now, there will be a mixed-use building constructed in that area,” Thallemer said. “We still think an ice skating facility could be put on that property, down on North Buffalo Street, just north of where Indiana and Buffalo streets are now connected.”
“We’re in the process of having the developer and designer, along with a consultant that looks at ice skating rinks, draw that up and see how that looks on that property,” Thallemer told board members. “Certainly it would be designed to meet our criteria. We’re not going to just put a little 20 foot circle.”
“It’s gonna be a facility that’s going to provide a good skating experience complete with rental skates, a little hot chocolate and a place to warm up when you get cold,” said Thallmer. “Because if folks get cold they’re not going to come back. That’s one thing we learned from Valpo, you’ve got to have a good skating experience or people just aren’t going to come.”
Thallemer mentioned another potential area for a skate rink — the boat launch area at Bixler Park.
Board President Steve Haines pointed out that $1 million will likely not cover the entire cost of a rink. He said they would also need someone to manage the rink, another expense.
“I know the cost of the facility is the first big part of this. The other part is the operational maintenance,” Thallemer said. “I think we’re in a really good position where there could potentially be a maintenance fund endowment that’s already established that we could use for maintenance of the facility.”
Plummer brought up a third option — one that would preserve green space — the Bixler Park tennis court area.
“If that was the footprint, you could have tennis and pickle ball underneath that footprint during the summer months and skating in the winter months,” Plummer said, adding there is also a parking area by the tennis courts.
Thallemer agreed that was a viable option.
“I’m just trying to look at a spot where we’re not taking a bunch of green space,” said Plummer.
Thallemer and board members agreed the next step would be to ask Haddad to attend next month’s park board meeting to review potential options for the skating rink location.
Other News:
- Ira Werker is now the Pike Lake Campground manager. Werker was the campground manager years ago and has 18 years of experience running the campground.
- Plummer said progress is being made on the Lucerne Park amphitheater. A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held in the spring. Plummer said the park board needs to establish fees for the amphitheater.
- G&G Hauling and Excavating, Warsaw, will start work on the parking lot at Kelly Park next week. This will serve as the Kelly Park sledding hill parking lot. The parking lot will be on the south side of Kelly Park, off of Baker Street.
- The next regular meeting will be held at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15.