Although Still Not Definitive, Council "OKs" Funding for Ice Skating Facility as Key Decisions Coming Soon
By Jeff Toquinto on May 25, 2023
The money has been approved, but the next big thing coming to Bridgeport Parks and Recreation has many questions needing to be answered before it can happen. A decision on whether it happens will likely be made within the next 30 to 40 days, Parks and Recreation Director Joe Shuttleworth said.
It was back on May 8 when Bridgeport City Council gave a temporary green light for a temporary ice-skating rink to be set up on the turf field behind the Citynet Center at The Bridge Sports Complex. On Monday, May 15, Council officially approved the $249,481 needed to
rent the facility to be used in the cold weather months.
rent the facility to be used in the cold weather months.
While everything is lined up financially, Shuttleworth brought up a new wrinkle at Monday’s meeting that could change things up. And he emphasized, even with the funding in place, a few more questions need to be answered before moving ahead with any option on the table.
“Part of the reason we haven’t formally done anything as far as signing contracts or things of that nature is because the budget wasn’t approved,” said Shuttleworth. “That was done (Monday).”
Now, the determination process begins with a bit of a quick timeline. Shuttleworth said in order to get the rink that would be installed it would likely have to be ordered by the end of June at the latest. The company that would provide the synthetic ice from a company called Glice. The surface, in fact, is called Glice.
So, what is it made of? According to the company’s Web site the synthetic ice “is made from a high-density polymer (polyethene plastic) specifically engineered for ice-skating.” It also does not need water, coolants, or resurfacing. The company states it is not as good as the real thing, but pretty close. The fact they have thousands of rinks in 85-plus counties may be proof of that.
Whether it comes to Bridgeport, and in what capacity, will soon be figured out. Shuttleworth said staff will soon take a trip to Snowshoe, which has a small Glice skating rink that is utilized year-round.
“It’s important to look at a rink made from the material and even skate on it to get an idea of what we’re looking at. The one at Snowshoe 
allows 15 people at a time, and if we move forward, we know it will have a much larger capacity even if we don’t exactly know the size we’re looking at.”
allows 15 people at a time, and if we move forward, we know it will have a much larger capacity even if we don’t exactly know the size we’re looking at.”
Shuttleworth said they have had discussions with Glice and other communities utilizing the artificial rinks. He said it is pretty consistent with what he is hearing.
“We’ve learned the rinks are really popular from our discussions,” said Shuttleworth. “We think that will be the case if this happens because of the time of the year, which would be around Thanksgiving and into the New Year where it’s colder and it would be under the bright lights of the field behind the Citynet Center.
“Actually, we think based on our conversations that our revenue projections for it may be low,” he added. “If that is the case, and we believe it is, it certainly helps the odds of this happening.”
Along with not determining if it is definitely going to happen, what they also have not learned is how large the rink will be. They have not determined exactly what area of the turf field it will be located (and it will have no impact on the turf). And the big one that came up Monday and was reported on by Chris Johnson, is there is now a need to determine as the matter moves forward whether to rent the rink or buy it.
“It’s more financially feasible to buy it, but you take that chance it might not be a hit. With a rental you can see how it works, if it’s a home run, and the good news is 30 percent credit from what you paid on the rental,” he said. “That’s another big decision.”
If purchased, another decision will have to be made. That decision involves where to store it since it cannot be left on the turf during operational times there.
“What we do know if we move ahead, it will primarily be for recreational purposes and we hope to create an experience similar to what we had decades ago at the Benedum Civic Center, down to the hot chocolate,” said Shuttleworth referring to the former ice skating on the Civic Center grounds. “There is so much you can do depending on the size; you can even play hockey on it. Whatever happens, a decision is coming quickly.”
Shuttleworth said the feedback since it was announced publicly for consideration has been almost exclusively positive. He said outside of comments of individuals wanting to see other amenities added to The Bridge, the consensus has been in favor of moving ahead.
Editor's Note: Top photo, from the Snowshoe Website, shows their Glice facility. Bottom photo, from the Glice Eco Skating Rinks Facebook page, shows an outdoor and uncovered facility.
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