Joliet Park District reopens Inwood Ice Arena after 5 months of renovations

The Inwood Ice Arena reopened Tuesday after five months of work that marked the first major renovations for the facility since it was built in 1993.

The first response from skaters was enthusiastic, said Erin Moncek, skating director for the Joliet Park District.

“They almost ran me down getting out there,” Moncek said as she described the eagerness with with which skaters in the Park District skate classes and the Jaguar Hockey Club took to the ice in a preview event for the new rink Monday.

Much has changed on the ice, in the seats and behind the scenes as the Park District invests about $7 million in an upgrade that continues with other improvements in the coming months.

One comment Moncek said she repeatedly heard from skaters and their parents was, “It’s so pretty.”

That’s thanks to white paint that brightens up the arena, new dasher boards around the rink with plexiglass offering a clearer view of the ice, and new bleachers around the rink for parents and fans who come for skating events and hockey tournaments.

The biggest investment, however, was in something most will never see.

“The heart of the ice rink is the biggest reason we had to to it,” Park District Director of Operations Teri Talerico said as she led the way to a behind-doors mechanical room. “We had to get a new refrigeration system.”

The rink had been cooled on an r22 refrigerant system installed when the arena was built in 1993. But r22 is being phased out by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and keeping the old system going was a constant challenge for park district staff, Talarico said.

The new rink is cooled with an ammonia-based system.

Improving the behind-the-scenes mechanics of the ice arena and its appearance to the public are both important, Talarico said.

The Inwood Ice Arena is a revenue-producing facility for the Park District. On many days it is open from 7 a.m. to midnight. It is typically open seven days a week, except in the summer.

“The Inwood Ice Arena is a revenue center,” Talarico said. “To make the revenue, you have to update the facility and make it current.”

In addition to skating classes and the local youth hockey organization, the facility is available for public skating and is rented for adult hockey games. Inwood hosts two youth hockey tournaments – one for the Northern Illinois Hockey League and another for CCM Hockey.

While the existing Inwood Ice Arena has been there since 1993, it replaced a decades-old rink that was destroyed by fire.

Skating at Inwood is a long tradition in Joliet.

“I grew up skating here,” Moncek said.

Talarico and her husband went on their first date skating at Inwood.

That long attachment to the facility was evident on the preview skate night.

“They were so excited,” Talarico said. “They were thrilled with the changes. A lot the kids start skating here at 4 or 5 years old. And, now they’re here as coaches and with their kids.”

Changes made and what’s planned

Other changes at the Inwood Ice Arena include:

• A concrete slab that replaces the former sand base for the ice rink.

• New logos on the walls.

• Renovations of the locker room, public washrooms and ice skate office.

A lot more is still to come. Phase two of the project is about to begin and will run into the spring.

Some of that work includes:

• A renovated lobby for the arena.

• A new arena roof.

• A new heating and cooling system for the arena area.

• A new generator.

• And a new Zamboni machine for resurfacing the ice.

Another change coming to the Inwood Ice Arena is that Dan Hinz, who has been superintendent for the arena for the past 17 years, plans to retire later this year.

The new superintendent will be Dan Dutkiewicz, who has been a part-time Park District employee for many years, mostly at the Inwood Golf Course.