Ice rink rebuild is delayed

PENDLETON – The Pendleton Parks and Recreation Department has the city council’s permission to contract with CMH Rink Builders of Johnson City, New York to rebuild the ice skating rink at Roy Raley Park. Now, the department just has to come up with the money.

The project was awarded a state grant of $334,194.83 for the project and Parks and Rec Director Liam Hughes said it was estimated the entire project would cost over $560,000 with the physical repair of the rink put at about $290,000.

“We still have a lot of work to do to find ways to either reduce costs or secure extra funding prior to us being able to break ground,” Hughes said. “It looks like we have a fairly significant amount of fundraising to do.”

Hughes had hoped to begin and complete the project before winter of this year. He now says it will probably have to begin next spring and Mayor John Turner agrees.

“It’s going to slip a year,” Turner said. “Then, hopefully, we’ll get it rebuilt starting about this time a year from now.” Failing concrete as well as problems with the rubber tubing that carries refrigerant to build the ice make setting up the rink a time-consuming process. The current rink was purchased in 1999, and at that time many of its elements were used.

MyCB file photo via Pendleton Parks and Recreation

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Elkhorn Media Group

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