Peru Washington Park ice rink likely will not open this year because of weather

The ice rink at Washington Park in Peru likely will not open this year, Director of Park and Recreation Adam Thorson said.

“We are trending in the wrong direction for any sort of ice-related weather,” he said. “We’re more than likely 99% sure we’re not going to do it this year.”

For the city to set up the rink, it needs to be colder than 32 degrees for the water to freeze and ideally remain that temperature for the rink to be set up for a duration of time.

With temperatures in the high 30s and 40s for most of December and then winter storms throughout January conditions haven’t been ideal to begin setting up the ice rink.

“The weather just didn’t cooperate with us,” Thorson said. “For a long period of time … by the time we got cold weather, it snowed the week before and everyone was snowplowing and then it got negative.”

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

Thorson said he has his “fingers crossed” for next year, as 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 $600,000 with an assumed agreement of a matching $600,000 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.