Artificial ice rink coming to Roselle
There's just one catch about the new ice rink coming to downtown Roselle this December: make sure your skates are very sharp or risk cutting down on the fun.
That's because this rink won't be made of ice at all. Instead, the village board voted this week to spend almost $29,000 on a 45-by-45-foot rink from Artificial Ice Events that will be assembled in the new Main Street Civic Plaza.
The rink is slated to open in early December at Main and Prospect streets, officials said.
The synthetic ice is made of a plastic polymer and fits together like a giant jigsaw puzzle, according to the manufacturer. The panels are then treated with a lubricating solution that reduces friction and enhances glide and speed.
“We saw a lot of college campuses were using them for back-to-school events and they are very popular, because you can ice skate in the middle of August,” said Patrick Watkins, Roselle community development director.
“The only caveat is to use freshly-sharpened skates, since this has about 10 percent more drag than real ice. Dull skates will really drag and ruin the experience,” he said.
The ice rink, which can accommodate about 35 skaters at once, will be unmanned and admission will be free. Skate rentals and skate sharpening will not be available on site. And officials said they are still sorting out the hours and dates of operation.
Currently, Watkins said, the rink is slated for use only in winter and the panels will be stored in the basement of village hall during other seasons. When the rink is not in use, the free space in the plaza can be used for events like summer concerts.
But leaders are not ruling out the idea of reassembling the rink, which takes about two hours, during warmer months.
“I could see some event like ‘Stay Cool in the Summer' and envision it getting expanded and used a lot more,” Watkins said.
During a meeting earlier this month, Roselle leaders said the rink is a smart investment for recreation, since it is cheaper to purchase and maintain than a traditional ice rink.
They also said they hope the rink will attract more foot traffic to downtown businesses.
“I think this will bring people to our downtown,” Trustee Richard Rhode said. “I think it's easier to take a coat off and go into a store than to take the kids out of wet bathing suits in the summer if we had installed a splash pad. I'm all for this.”
The ice rink is part of the larger Main Street Civic Plaza project, which was completed late last spring to create more downtown parking and a welcoming aesthetic for visitors.
The village acquired the vacant lot for about $450,000 in 2008 to supplement parking in the area, Watkins said. But he added that the plaza was created for cross-purpose uses like the ice rink and special events.
With the ice rink cost included, the village paid about $150,000 for Rosemont-based Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. to create the plaza. It includes precast concrete benches, brick columns, stamped concrete pavement and light posts that match the existing streetscape.