Winona Council Hosts Public Meeting For Q&A On Ice Rink
Winona Council Hosts Public Meeting For Q&A On Ice Rink
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Amanda Bridgman-
Winona Council Hosts Public Meeting For Q&A On Ice RinkWINONA LAKE – The Winona Lake Town Council fielded several questions about the ice rink and pavilion project during Tuesday's public meeting.
The project will place a pavilion that houses an ice rink, along with restrooms and maintenance building, in the grass lot across from the post office by Thanksgiving weekend. Estimated cost is $6.5 million, and the town received $1.5 million from the K21 Health Foundation.
After asking for bids on the project in November, the lone bid came from WL Ice LLC, who submitted a proposal. The town then moved to use the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) statute, where the town enters into a full package deal with a private entity who is responsible for the construction and operation of the project until it is eventually transferred over to the town.
That final agreement with WL Ice isn't finished yet, but part of the language states that WL Ice could only be responsible for operating the rink once it’s open for as little as 48 hours. The town plans to pay for the balance using TIF money captured and is relying heavily on community fundraising. Town Manager Craig Allebach said a fundraising committee will be put together that will seek out partnerships with the Kosciusko County Community Foundation, along with area businesses.
Suzie Light, who retired from the Foundation in 2020, delivered a message on behalf of Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. CEO Alan Tio Tuesday that relayed that KEDCO supports the effort to build the multipurpose facility.
"(It) provides a fun, healthy winter activity as an ice rink in winter and a venue that can house concerts and anchor festivals that will enhance the quality of life for many in Kosciusko County," Tio said. "It also provides a possible destination for tourism and recreation enthusiasts, and it's a good addition to the wonderful trail systems."
Allebach said Light will be on the fundraising committee.
Several residents in attendance wondered about the parking, opportunities for other events and specs of the building.
Village at Winona Manager Nick Hauck said an additional finger parking lot will be put in place on the east side of Park Avenue that will have 34 new parking spaces. The sidewalks will remain and two new sidewalks will be put in, he said.
The pavilion is 120 by 180 feet and will be covered with a roof and open on all sides except for the west side, which can be closed off with garage doors. The ice rink is 50 by 120 feet and will be made possible through refrigeration underneath the concrete. In warmer months, the rink floor would just be concrete, Allebach said.
While Allebach said the possibilities are nearly endless as far as what can be hosted there – including concerts and weddings – he said the first goal is to get it open, and the second goal is for Warsaw Community Schools elementary students to be able to come for skating classes through their physical education class.
A gas fireplace also is planned to sit on the east side of the pavilion near the amphitheater side of the park that will have four benches.
The pavilion itself will not be heated, but Allebach said it still will be usable in late spring and fall and the west side garage doors are part of the design to cut down on the wind from the lake.
As far as the 10-month timeline until the projected November opening, Allebach said, "It gives them (WL Ice) time to build it and us the time to raise the funds. By the time we sign that agreement, we'll have already had some discussion about how that would be raised, who the donors we're targeting and things like that and a fundraising team. ... We're a little bit behind ... so we have to get started pretty quick and hopefully right after that agreement is signed, we'll be moving, and so we gotta move on a couple things. One is to try to get it operational hoping by the end of November, and the other is to raise those funds."
The Council is expecting to vote on the agreement at its 6 p.m. March 16 meeting at Town Hall.
