ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – Enhance Escanaba is looking into a way to promote outdoor recreation during the winter months.
At an Escanaba Recreation Advisory Board meeting Tuesday evening, Enhance Escanaba President and City Council Liaison Karen Moore presented the idea of purchasing a 44-by-80 refrigerated ice rink. The project is still in its planning phase, but Moore says city administrators have named the Municipal Dock park as a potential location for the rink.
“It’s temporary and composed of mats that roll out right on the grass, with two compressors that run electricity,” Moore explained.
If the city decided to move forward with the project, Enhance Escanaba would launch a crowdfunding effort through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). If Enhance Escanaba raised $50,000 within 60 days, the MEDC would provide a matching grant.
The approximately $100,000 cost of the rink and shipping does not include lighting. Moore has discussed adding lighting to the area with the city’s utility director. She added that the city manager is looking into the costs the project would present for the city and how much of those costs the city would take on. Moore also brought up the idea of selling sponsorships.
Moore says the cost of the compressors is another consideration.
“I talked to a town in Illinois and, of course, their compressors run a lot more than ours would,” she said. “If it gets in the low 20s or the teens, then the compressors don’t run at all. Their compressor runs all month, and their electricity bill is $600, so that’s something to go on.”
Moore believes the public would greatly benefit from having a refrigerated ice rink, especially with the warmer winters Escanaba has had in recent years.
“The nice thing about this is that it makes ice under 50 degrees, which is really an asset for our city,” Moore said. “Four years ago, we had [an ice rink] at Royce Park and one at Webster, and we decided to consolidate our ice rinks. We’ve only had the weather temperature two out of those four years. This rink, we can skate from November 1st until April 1st.”
The Recreation Advisory Board could not make an official recommendation, due to a lack of quorum. However, the members in attendance supported the idea of continuing fact-finding efforts and seeking public input.
If the ice rink project moves forward, Enhance Escanaba hopes to fundraise in the spring and stall the rink by November 1.
