HOLLAND, Mich. — Five years in the making, the City of Holland will break ground on a new $11 million ice park that will provide year-round activities.
The ice park will be built in an underused area of the Window on the Waterfront Park, with the ice rink being built on the northeast corner of College and 6th Street.
Keith Van Beek, City Manager of Holland, said it will combine a traditional circular ice rink with a pathway that skaters will also be able to skate around, similar to Maggie Daley Park in Chicago.
In the middle of the circular pathway will be a fireplace accessible to skaters. A curling rink will also be adjacent to the ice rink.
The park will include covered pavilions, restrooms and other facilities that are designed for year-round use. Van Beek said he hopes the park will be able to support the Tulip Time festivities.
"Our downtown has a long history of being a place that's been really attractive to people to come and experience and enjoy," said Van Beek. "Now with this ice rink and not only in the winter months, but also year-round will be an enjoyable, affordable place for families to come."
Van Beek said the development of the park has seen involvement from many in the community.
"It was part of significant interaction and opportunity for input that we had with residents, asking them what were some gaps, what were some amenities that we could bring to our town," said Van Beek.
The total cost of the project is around $11 million, with $7 million coming from private grant funding, including a $1 million donation from former educator Frank Kraai, a long-time supporter of the project.
The city has also worked with EGLE and the Army Corp of Engineers on the project, which will have a refrigeration system that will guarantee ice November through March.
Holland will break ground on the project at 3 p.m. at Window on the Waterfront on Tuesday, April 23.
"It's about a one-year construction cycle," said Van Beek. "We're hoping that it will be largely available to support tulip time in 2025, and then it would be ready for skating in late fall of 2025."
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