NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – This week the Neenah City Council approved a plan to build a new ice rink and pavilion.
The $4 million to $5 million project is a gift to the City of Neenah by a group led by John Bergstrom.
“It’s Mr. Bergstrom’s dream I think as he told me. He’s visited the Rockefeller ice skating rink and a lot of other facilities around the country. As many of us have seen, they’re so cool. They draw people in,” Neenah Mayor Dean Kaufert said.
“We’ll have buildings that have concessions and skate rentals,” Neenah Director of Community Development Chris Haese said.
Haese tells FOX 11 the facilities can be used year round.
“In the winter months, it’ll be a Rockefeller-sized ice rink with all the amenities that go around it.”
For the warmer months, Haese said, “We would have activities on the hard surface. Anything from yoga, to wine and cheese events, to any other type of community event.”
“It’s going to put us on the map again,” Mayor Kaufert said.
Mayor Dean Kaufert tells FOX 11 the rink will bring more than just entertainment to the city.
“It’s going to bring so much to the downtown area, to the businesses, the companies that have to hire people that are looking for talent.”
Area businesses hope the rink will attract more customers as well.
“Just getting more bodies down here and something unique like this will bring people in that normally don’t come to downtown Neenah,” Greene’s Pour House owner Jay VanHandel said.
Kaufert says that parking is always a challenge downtown.
VanHandel said, “It’s not a bad problem to have where too many people are coming to downtown Neenah.”
The rink is expected to cost about $20,000 a year to operate.
The group led by John Bergstrom will cover those costs for at least 5 years.
The hope is to open the rink by next fall.
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