Politics & Government

Council Hears Proposal to Bring Ice Skating to Dunwoody

Rink would help to make Dunwoody Village a destination in the winter, City Manager Warren Hutmacher said

Lace up your skates.

Dunwoody might get a fresh sheet of ice, er, plastic this winter.

The city is looking at putting in temporary, all-weather skating rink in Dunwoody Village in late November.

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Monday night, the Dunwoody City Council heard a proposal from City Manager Warren Hutmacher to put in a skating rink in a parking lot next to Calico Corners along Dunwoody Village Parkway.

The rink, which would be made of plastic and gel to allow for warm weather skating, would be about 50 by 60 feet and serve up to 75 skaters at once, Hutmacher said.

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"I think this is an opportunity to add an attraction to Dunwoody village to show that it can be used as a destination downtown, not just a convenience downtown,” he said.

If approved, the rink would set up just after Thanksgiving and be up through the second week in January.

A company would set up and run the rink during that time for $70,000. The city, Hutmacher said, would try to recoup those costs through admissions costs and sponsorships.

He estimates the city could bring in between $15,000 and $20,000 through admissions.

“Obviously there are some business risks in doing this,” Hutmacher said.

There are no guarantees of attendance and the city would have to find sponsorships to help make up the divide between ticket revenues and the actual cost.

The city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau would help with marketing and advertising the winter attraction, he said.

Several council members showed support for the idea, including Danny Ross, Denis Shortal and Doug Thompson.

“I love the idea. I think it’s great. It gets people to Dunwoody Village,” Thompson said. “The only thing that gives me any heartburn is the financial aspect of it. Obviously if it’s a money loser I don’t see it being here long term.”

Councilwoman Adrian Bonser agreed.

“That is my biggest concern is how much money the city is actually going to be out,” she said.

Ross said he supports doing it on a trial basis, adding that making Dunwoody Village an attraction is important.

Hutmacher said the city has not tapped its contingency fund for a third year in a row, and will be finishing the year with a considerable operating surplus, which could help pay for the attraction.

If it shows some success, the hope is to turn the keys over to someone else, Hutmacher said.

“The Idea is to transfer this event in future years out of the city’s control and give it to one of the community groups  to run it as a potential fundraiser for them,” he said.

The council will hear about the proposal again at its next meeting.


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