IceLand Skate Complex to Add Outdoor Rink

A new outdoor, refrigerated ice-skating rink is being added to the IceLand Skate Complex as a way to meet the growing demand for ice rinks.

The new rink, which is at the former site of an outdoor swimming pool, is about 50 percent complete and officials hope that the project will be done by Thanksgiving, said Joe LoVerde, the park district’s executive director, at the Niles Park District board of commissioners meeting Tuesday.

Overall costs are projected to be between $175,000 and $200,000, LoVerde said, adding that the rink will be 165 feet by 65 feet.

Earlier:

Major purchases for the project include mats, priced at $65,000, and a compressor, priced at $50,000. The mats, from a company called Everything Ice, have coils embedded in them, Czarnik said after the meeting. The coils contain chilled glycol, which freezes water into ice.

Lights from the old swimming pool will be used to light the new rink, LoVerde said.

Demand for ice skating time has remained high and openings are hard to come across, said Marty Stankowicz, general manager and hockey director for the IceLand facility. The new rink will host high school hockey games and help accommodate others looking for skate time.

Elmhurst and Wilmette have similar outdoor refrigerated rinks, LoVerde said.

Other news items include:

• Park officials are looking to replace the bridge near Hole 5 on the Tam Golf Course, citing its age.  Officials are looking for bids, but if they aren’t “favorable” price-wise, the district will likely wait until next year to begin the project.
• At the meeting, one of a group of four teens who have asked the park district to build a skateboard park thanked commissioners for furthering the process. In the past, Ray Czarnik, park board president, has invited the teens to participate in the process of exploring the idea of building a skate park. He also invited them to the Oct. 12 budget meeting.