Riverview Ice House, 324 N. Madison St., Rockford, will undergo $8 million in renovations starting in March. (Photo by Kevin Haas/Rock River Current)
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The Rockford Park District will borrow up to $6 million to pay for renovations to Riverview Ice House that will keep the downtown hockey and skating facility running for years to come.

Commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to authorize the sale of bonds, which will be repaid over 20 years, to fund the majority of construction. A $2.5 million state capital grant will also help finance the work.

The facility faced closure more than a year ago as district officials wrestled with budget constraints and expensive fixes needed for the facility. The initial plan called for consolidating all ice activities at Carlson Ice Arena in Loves Park, but the district reversed course after the emergence of a grassroots group called Save Riverview Ice House that argued the facility was key to the vitality of downtown.

“I remember the night we made the decision kind of collectively that we were going to go down to one ice rink, and I was ready to make that decision, but it was tearing me apart,” Commissioner Tyler Smith said. “We worked really hard to change the trajectory, and I’m really proud of the work that we did.”

Interior demolition will begin after the last programs of the season conclude the final week of March, said Dan Jacobson, the district’s superintendent of operations.

Related: Nearly shuttered a year ago, design work begins at Riverview Ice House 
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This rendering shows the renovations coming to Riverview Ice House. (Photo via Rockford Park District)

The rink is a huge part of the city’s downtown, drawing thousands of young athletes and families to the city’s core, said Jay Graham, who was integral in the Save Riverview group

“Without the rink being there — without the (BMO Harris Bank Center), the community investments that have been made — we wouldn’t see a resurgent downtown like we do now, and that is the beating heart of our community,” he said.

Project costs

The total cost of the fixes is estimated to be $8 million, about $2 million more than initially expected as costs escalated over the last several months and designs were fine-tuned, Jacobson said. The district needs about $5.5 million for the share not covered by the state grant, and it is authorizing up to $6 million to account for bond issuance and pricing costs.

The lion’s share of the cost comes from replacing the 47-year-old facility’s refrigeration system, which district officials said is obsolete after operating beyond its life span. The district will also renovate the locker rooms, add locker rooms for officials and construct a “dry locker room” — one without showers but space for skaters and hockey players to change — near the studio ice rink.

Riverview’s locker and restroom facilities are in dire needed of attention, district officials said. Locker rooms, Graham said, are a big part of hockey culture.

“The sport happens on the ice, but friendships happen in the locker rooms,” Graham said.

Related: Shorewood Park fixes to ‘breathe new life’ into Loves Park Ski Broncs shows

There are also several mechanical fixes and upgrades to the rink boards and glass, as well as renovations to offices and meeting spaces.

Heather and Peter Provenzano, who were also instrumental in the Save Riverview movement, have pledged $1 million in donations over 10 years to offset the tax dollars spent operating the facility. The Provenzano Family Skating Fund will exist in perpetuity and help pay for youth to participate in hockey and figure skating.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas .

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