Peru’s Washington Park ice rink awaits colder weather to open

Most years, the winter season brings a full slate of outdoor activities, such as building snowmen, sledding and ice skating.

Jack Frost, however, seems to have taken time off this year, and as a result of the warmer weather, the ice rink at Washington Park in Peru will remain closed until his arrival.

With temperatures in the high 30s and 40s for most of December, it hasn’t been ideal conditions to begin setting up the ice rink.

It has to be under 32 degrees to freeze the water, and we need that temperature to last a duration of time to make it worth it.”

—  Adam Thorson, director of parks and recreation for Peru

“It has to be under 32 degrees to freeze the water,” said Adam Thorson, director of parks and recreation for Peru. “And we need that temperature to last a duration of time to make it worth it.”

Thorson said it’s weather-dependent right now, but he doesn’t foresee the rink going up this week. He said if warmer temperatures continue to the end of the month, the rink may not be a possibility this year.

“We’re hoping we can get these colder temperatures throughout January and February so we are able to provide [the ice rink],” he said.

Last year, the rink was open for seven days because of the weather.

Hoping to combat this issue in the future, Peru applied for an Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development Grant to make improvements around the rink and make it available to the public despite weather conditions.

With the grant, significant upgrades would be available, including a chiller to keep the rink frozen longer, a clubhouse-like building for skate rentals, fire pits, locker rooms and a Zamboni machine to maintain the ice.

At a council meeting in July, Thorson called the chillers for the rink “missing pieces” to help ensure it is available for family skate nights, hockey leagues and recreational skating.

If the proposal is accepted, the grant would be for $400,000 with an assumed agreement of a matching $400,000 contribution by the city to complete the work.

Thorson said Peru also applied for a $400,000 Tourism Attraction Program Grant for the chiller units and improvements to the park. He said he doesn’t expect to hear back about either grant until mid-spring.