Nestled into the city’s new downtown riverwalk corridor, the park features a 600-foot-long, 13-foot-wide refrigerated ice path that gives skaters the opportunity to leisurely weave through the park while enjoying scenic views of the Elkhart River and the cityscape.
The path weaves through trees, a splash pad and a picnic area, and in the warmer months the park is designed to host annual art shows, fairs and music festivals. The path can easily accommodate booths and fair-goers, and the arch of the concessions building serves as an amphitheater for performances and movie screenings. Future amenities, such as a fi re pit and playground, were considered in the design and can be implemented as funds become available.
A mechanical building, a concessions/ warming house building and restrooms were each designed to have distinct appearances, and collectively they evoke images of a quaint village.
Contaminated, unstable soils needed to be excavated, and a reinforced structural pad was installed to ensure the skating trail was not adversely affected by differential subsoil settlement.
The decreased surface area requiring refrigeration (versus a traditional rink) saves the town operating expenses, as does the use of welded plastic refrigerant piping rather than traditional steel.
Club H Fitness Murray Hill
