Solid foundation set for Palouse Ice Rink

MOSCOW – Construction hasn’t started yet, but the groundwork has been laid for a new Palouse Ice Rink.

Latah County, which owns the land the rink sits on, updated a lease agreement last month that will ensure the ice rink continues to operate into the future. That fulfills one of the requirements listed by the city of Moscow before the city will bequeath $1 million to build a new rink.

“It’s a step in the right direction,” said Tony Mangini, vice president of the Palouse Ice Rink.

The nonprofit organization has plans to replace its 15-year-old temporary structure with a new $3.6 million facility. In August, the Moscow City Council voted unanimously to give $1 million toward the project, using money from the city’s Hamilton Fund.

Before the funds are granted, though, the city formulated a number of conditions the rink needs to meet. Chief among those is ensuring the Hamilton money will be used for its intended purpose – providing parks and recreation benefits to young children in Moscow – well into the future.

The three most important conditions, said City Supervisor Gary Riedner, are to “assure it was going to be completed, assure that it was going to provide the services to the children in accordance with the will and assure that it could do that into the foreseeable future.”

The lease agreement updated last month means that last requirement will be met.

While the county owns the ice rink’s land, the Rotary Veterans Memorial Pavilion owns the rink itself. Their lease agreement was amended so that even if the Rotary Veterans organization ceases to continue business, “the county will somehow make sure that the ice rink still functions,” Commissioner Tom Lamar said.

Another obligation the Palouse Ice Rink must meet is raising the rest of the funds necessary to build the new rink. That’s when the Hamilton funds will become available.

Currently, the rink has $400,000 to go toward the project – with half of that in cash and half in pledges.

Mangini said the nonprofit organization is working to drive down the $3.6 million cost of the construction project, and has been in talks with contractors who may offer in-kind donations. He’ll also spend this month looking for donors able to give larger sums to the project.

“If you look at what this brings to the community, I think it would be money well spent,” Mangini said.

The rink offers a variety of programs for everyone from children to senior citizens, offering exercise and social opportunities for people during a particularly brutal winter, Mangini said.

The Palouse Ice Rink also generates revenue, he added.

“It is actually financially self-sustaining, which makes it unique from other facilities,” Mangini said. “It actually can generate a positive cash flow. It just needs the capital to build the actual facility itself.”

If fundraising goes well this year, construction on the new rink could start in the spring of 2018. If not, that would push the project back a year, and Mangini said the clock is ticking for the rink.

The organization has been operating on special-use permits granted by the Moscow Board of Adjustments, which had previously granted five-year extensions of the permits. In July, the board extended the permit by only three years, setting an expiration date of June 2019.

The exterior facility at the ice rink is also nearing the end of its lifespan.

“The canvas shell is deteriorating, and we realize we’re running out of time with that,” Mangini said.

Despite these challenges, Riedner said the city council and Mayor Bill Lambert are “very excited” to help the rink get constructed. Mangini also remains passionate about the project.

“We’re just anxious to get this done,” Mangini said.