Rolling Meadows ice rink to close for renovations
The ice arena at the Nelson Sports Complex in Rolling Meadows will close this spring for renovations.
The rink, originally built in 1970s, will close on April 4, said Bob Veller, superintendent of ice arenas for the Rolling Meadows Park District.
"A lot of the mechanics behind that rink have gone past their life expectancy," Veller said. "We're trying to be proactive so we can have a great facility for years to come."
The rest of the Nelson Sports Complex at 3900 Owl Drive, which also includes a pool, fitness center and gymnastics area, will remain open.
Construction will be completed by mid-August just in time for fall hockey season to get underway, Veller said
Officials said the project will cost between $1.75 million and $2 million, but it was originally planned to cost more.
The Rolling Meadows Park District received a $2.5 million grant from the state, but when park grants around the state were put on hold due to the budget impasse, officials had to downsize the project.
"We've scaled it back to just do the stuff we absolutely need to right now," Veller said.
Cosmetically the rink and ice arena area will look similar, but Veller said behind-the-scenes updates to the floor, compressor and mechanics will help skaters, bring down the park district's utility bills, and keep the aging rink going for years to come.
The West Meadows Ice Arena, also in Rolling Meadows, will remain open but with fewer public skate hours due to scheduling of events normally at Nelson.
"It's been a little tricky trying to work out all of the schedules on one ice surface," he said.
As some of the only ice arenas in the Northwest suburbs, the Rolling Meadows rinks are busy year-round. Veller said according to their foot traffic report, 3.3 million people come in and out the doors of both facilities each year for everything from youth, college and adult hockey, to ice skating and birthday parties.
Closer to construction, updated schedules for public skate will be posted at www.rmskating.com.