MINNEAPOLIS — The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is considering closing multiple ice rinks because of climate impacts and finances.
In a statement, the board said they need to address a $1.5 million funding gap. To fix it they plan on reducing the number of ice rinks from 22 to 17 locations over two years, reducing recreation center hours during non-peak times by one hour per weekday, four additional federal holidays, and Sundays at five locations.
The board recommended shutting down rinks at Webber, Powderhorn, and Windom Parks at the end of the 2024/2025 season and Lyndale Farmstead in 2025/2026, with a possible fifth location.
The board's Communications and Marketing Manager Robin Smothers said Powderhorn and Webber were chosen because they are built on water bodies, which makes it more challenging to open and maintain than rinks built on land. She said the land rinks were selected based on proximity to other rinks and construction challenges.
For people who go to Windom Park, the news was hard to hear.
“My kids learned to skate here,” said Molly Phillips. “The parks department says they’re keeping Logan Park, but my kids can’t walk to Logan Park. So, I think it will lead to a lot more kids sitting at home instead of engaging with their community.”
Phillips said the ice rink is more than just a sheet of ice, it’s a place where the community can come together.
“My family has a tradition we call Sunday soup and skate where we make a big pot of soup, we bring it to the rink, and we ladle it out and we meet our neighbors,” Phillips said.
She said her family goes to the rink almost every day in the winter, except for last year, when Minnesota experienced an unusually warm winter.
The Windom ice rink is also a favorite spot of Johnny Sundahl and his son Odin. Odin skated at the rink last year, while his mom and dad just tried to keep up.
“I think it’s a bummer if it’s going to go away just because when I said people get together here in the wintertime that’s one of the biggest activities that people do. You’ll see families skating around, you’ll see the hockey players, figure skaters practicing and afterwards everyone will gather around the fire and make s’mores,” Johnny said.
Odin said skating outdoors is a feeling like no other.
“It just gives you a sense of free. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, you just feel happy, like you’re defying gravity. It’s awesome,” Odin said.
They’re both hopefully the city decides to keep their rink open.
“It would keep a lot of memories; it would mean more people keeping a bond with each other,” Odin said.
Johnny said the warming house is a place where the community can get together.
Phillips agreed it’s a special place.
“What’s really cool about this rink to is the warming house has skates for anybody to use,” she said.
“So, even if you don’t have the budget to outfit your family in ice skates you can access this rink.”
University of Minnesota Tourism Director Xinyi Cin said more abnormal winters can change people’s behaviors.
“It could lead to actually crowding in the other sites that do still remain open. It might also discourage people so much that they just decide to do a completely different activity. To some extent we are in a wait and see that kind of observing pattern,” she said.
She said climate change isn’t going anywhere and said fewer outdoor rinks could potentially lead to other issues.
Cin said a 2024 spring survey showed that 91% of businesses that responded said the abnormal winter negatively impacted their business. Cin said it will be crucial for everyone to help these businesses adapt and stay resilient.
“I would also be curious to hear for example what do businesses in our neighboring states… that also have a lot of snow. How are they adapting? Can we learn from each other?”
The final list of rink closures isn’t final yet. The final budget won’t be approved until December 10, so the number of rinks and which locations can change.