The Ice Park is shutting down, though it’s possible somebody will buy it. #
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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well, if not an ice park, at least it’ll still be useful as an… ummm….. wait, hold on a second.
Hey, didn’t all of us point out this exact problem back when the Ice Park was first built?
my favorite part of the article is actually where the Ice Park is referred to as a “a neo-classical” design…
heck, then I suppose that (now-empty) Circuit City up on 29 is the height of modernist architecture?
Charlottesville is fortunate to have an ice rink at all, and even more fortunate to have a rink as nice as the ice park. I grew up skating at Iceland in Virginia Beach, and that place looks like someone took an old garage and threw some water in it to freeze. To have an ice rink in a setting like the downtown mall, with actual windows looking out onto the ice, is really a treat for the community.
The rink draws in a considerable amount of business for surrounding downtown mall businesses, particularly Christian’s. Skaters drive in from other areas, particularly Lynchburg and Fredericksburg, to use the rink. If the rink closes, Charlottesville skaters and hockey players will either drive elsewhere or give up sports that they love altogether.
I’ve been figure skating for three years. I started off in the Learn to Skate program and now take private lessons with a coach. Much of my free time and money goes to skating; I was reflecting last week that I could have a nicer house or car right now if it weren’t for skating, but it’s worth it. Some people have been skating there since they were toddlers and are now active in the figure skating or hockey programs. This is just capitalism to some, but it’s a loss for the many members of the community who enjoyed public skating or skating school, and to those of us who skate on a regular basis it’s horrible, possibly life-changing news.
Where are the nearest rinks? Lynchburg has one I think on Chandler Mtn Rd. What about Richmond?
Lynchburg and Short Pump, I believe. I don’t know of any west of here.
I agree that it’s a loss to the community. My kids and I skate there occasionally, and sometimes take out of town guests there as well. We always have a great time, and it’s a beautiful facility.
It’s ironic that this was announced during the Olympics when interest in skating is up.
During my college years, I learned to skate at LancerLot in Roanoke. Ice rinks south of DC were a novelty. The rink in Lynchburg opened a while ago and has proven popular with locals, as well as hosting a few college teams; being owned by Liberty, they probably don’t have the same issues with profits and losses that a for-profit rink would have. While their ice is great year-round, and the facility has more spectator space, the building and it’s locale aren’t anything like the Ice Park.
As a fan of college club hockey, I wonder what the UVa and JMU teams will do.
If the rink closes, Charlottesville skaters and hockey players will either drive elsewhere or give up sports that they love altogether.
Some of us will actually move away, including myself and my wife. Seems like an overreaction, but one of the reasons we chose to move to C-ville was the ice rink.
Per input from city officials at the time, the ice park was built in a manner so that, if ever necessary, it could be easily be converted to a much-needed conference center for say … its’ neighbor the Omni Hotel! While I greatly hope new owners appear on the scene ASAP & keep our ice park open, I am happy that a viable Plan B is waiting in the wings … time will tell!