WAUSAU — Skating enthusiasts could have a new location to hit the ice if city leaders approve a new rink on the city’s northeast side.
May residents cried foul this year when the Wausau School District eliminated the Riverview Elementary School outdoor rink, and city leaders have been working to come up with an alternative plan ever since.
Amid a grassroots effort by neighborhood parents to resurrect the rink, members of the city’s parks and recreation committee will discuss the viability of a new location next week, the second time an alternative location has been officially proposed.
The committee in October considered a proposal for a rink at River Highlands Park. That rink would have cost an estimated $25,000 to pour and maintain, including costs to install benches, light poles and electrical services.
The latest proposal calls for a rink on Evergreen Road, on privately owned land, according to city documents. The site has the capability to host a medium sized rink, about 12,600 square feet, and would have easier access and better parking than the River Highlands Park site. The Evergreen Road rink is also less expensive, with estimated costs at about $17,200, city documents show.
Complicating the proposal, however, is the fact that the land is privately owned and is for sale.
When the parks and recreation committee last met, they discussed other potential locations proposed by residents, including Sylvan Hill. But parks officials said Sylvan Hill does not have enough flat space for a rink and there are not enough visible areas for a rink.
Decades ago, the city poured rinks at a number of local elementary schools, providing free outdoor recreational opportunities for neighborhood children. But the number of rinks diminished over the years, and last year, outdoor skating was limited to The 400 Block, Marathon Park and Riverview School. This year, the Riverview rink is being eliminated, officials said.
