Middletown considers buying ice skating rink for $245K to convert to roller skating rink

Rink has been funded for last two years by Middletown Holiday Whopla.

MIDDLETOWN — The city of Middletown may be getting into the ice rink and roller skating business.

For the last two years, a grassroots group of volunteers has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars and operated Middletown Holiday Whopla (”hoo-plah”), a two-month winter festival that includes ice skating, interactive light displays, igloos and Santa House in the downtown.

The event has been created as an economic boost for local businesses and drawing visitors to the city.

City Manager Paul Lolli said Holiday Whopla is “really good for downtown and Middletown.”

But the event is expensive to operate, and after two years of solicitating local businesses for donations, Avinne Kiser, who has spearheaded Holiday Whopla, said the group needs the city’s financial support. She said the group can’t continue operating the event due to the cost and difficulty raising the necessary funds.

Lolli told council on Tuesday the city is considering purchasing the ice rink for $245,000. He said city staff and the law department are writing legislation that may be presented to City Council as soon as May 16.

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Kiser said Holiday Whopla needs the city to make a “go, no-go” decision soon because the lease agreement payment has already been extended.

Holiday Whopla rented the ice rink the first year, then as a way to save money, leased it in 2022, Kiser said. She said the $245,000 would pay off the lease and allow the city to take ownership of the ice rink. The Holiday Whopla committee would continue managing and raising funds to assist in operating the event, Kiser said.

As it has the last two years, Holiday Whopla will be held in downtown this year with the hopes of possibly finding a permanent home, either in Smith Park or after the city builds a park on top of a water basin on South Main Street, near the former Manchester Inn.

As proposed, that park may include a small amphitheater with plenty of green space.

Kiser said the rink would be used for ice skating during the winter, then converted into a roller rink during warmer weather. The concrete pad would be covered with a softer sports pad and could be used for pickleball, the fastest-growing sport in the United States, she said.

The ice rink would have a one-year warranty, Kiser told council.

After a year or so, if the city decides it wants out of the ice skating business, the company would buy the rink back, Kiser said.

That means the city is “hedging our bet,” said Zack Ferrell, a council member.

Lolli said funds generated by the ice rink could be used to offset the expected increase in utility costs.

Mayor Nicole Condrey said she was concerned about the potential liability of the city operating a skating rink. The law department is expected to include language in the legislation to address that issue, city officials said.

Kiser said she was encouraged Tuesday night after listening to council comments.

“I’m excited for the future of the town,” Kiser told the Journal-News after the meeting. “People have said, ‘I used to go ice skating at Sunset Park.’ That’s what builds a town and this could become a tourist attraction. We are capable of greatness here.”

About the Author