Work is moving along on the Miller Sunset Pavilion at Winona Lake, which will contain an ice rink. The Village at Winona Managing Director Nick Hauck said the project is estimated to be finished in September. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander taken at the end of June.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WINONA LAKE — Work on the Miller Sunset Pavilion is moving right along.

The Village at Winona Managing Director Nick Hauck said he estimates that work on the pavilion, which will contain an ice rink, should be finished in September.

The more than 20,000-square-foot pavilion is being built at the former site of the Billy Sunday Tabernacle along Park Avenue in Winona Lake, and its design is meant to resemble it. The pavilion’s name comes from a quote from the late Dane Miller.

The pavilion is partially enclosed with four large glass garage doors to help block the wind. A wrought iron fence will encircle the majority of the perimeter to help keep people out when the pavilion is closed.

A brick-paved lot will be in the front of the pavilion, with some of the bricks listing names of individuals and entities who have helped donate for the project.

Next to the pavilion is a storage building, which includes room for a Zamboni to resurface the ice on the rink. The rink itself takes up 7,200 square feet in the center of the pavilion and will be made by a refrigerated ice slab.

There will be no ice on the rink section in the warmer months, which allow the entire floor of the pavilion to be used for events  like the Wagon Wheel Symphony of the Lakes’ concert around the Fourth of July and the summer Jazz Festival.

“To give an idea, the tent that we’re putting up for the Fourth of July (for the concert) … we can fit six (of those) inside (the pavilion),” said Hauck.

Inside the pavilion, there will be seating set up along the rink for people to watch others skate.

Another feature of the pavilion is anchors for pickleball, which will allow for courts for the sport to be placed inside it, said Hauck.

The design also includes a fireplace behind the pavilion for skaters to warm up at. Hauck noted people should still be able to access the fireplace and restrooms in another building by the pavilion when the actual pavilion is closed.

There’s also space for concessions, with items like hot dogs, pretzels, chips, candy bars, nachos with cheese, hot chocolate, pop and coffee to be sold; a room to store skates; a place to pay for skate rentals and entrance fees; and rental lockers for storage.

Hauck added that people are also welcome to bring their own skates.

The town is utilizing a process called BOT for the project. BOT stands for build, operate and transfer and means a developer can essentially complete a project and later shift ownership to a government entity.

WL Ice LLC is developing the project. The cost of the project at the time of the BOT agreement was more than $6 million.

A fundraiser is running on the online crowdfunding site Patronicity to raise money for part of the project. Through it, individuals and companies can have their names listed on the previously mentioned bricks and on a donor wall if they give for the project.

The fundraising is in connection with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, with the IHCDA giving a matching grant for the project as part of its CreatINg Places program. As of Sunday night, July 3, fundraising had more than surpassed the $50,000 goal, making the project eligible to receive the grant.

The rest of the project is to be paid for through more fundraising and donations and then tax increment financing if enough money is not raised to cover the project cost, with the latter being generated by property tax funds from assessed valuation in the area going up.

“Honestly, the opportunities are limitless … for programming,” said Hauck regarding having activities at the pavilion. “I think it’s just going to be a great community asset. When you think of everything that Winona Lake has to offer, this is just going to enhance all that.”

A look inside the pavilion. The line on the floor is the outline for the rink. The rink will consist of a refrigerated slab in the cold months, allowing for other events like concerts to occur at the pavilion during the rest of the year.

Another look inside the pavilion. Workers may be seen on the left side of the photo, giving a scope of how large the more than 20,000-square-foot pavilion is.

Three hundred pairs of skates in adults to toddler sizes have already come in and are stored in a room in a building next to the pavilion.

Rental lockers for storage and benches may be seen in a room in a building separate from the pavilion.