Greenport gets state funding to build new ice skating rink
Greenport's Mitchell Park is getting $1.2 million from New York State to build an ice rink. Credit: Randee Daddona
Greenport Village will use a $1.2 million state grant to get its residents back on ice.
The village will replace a defunct ice skating rink in Mitchell Park that's expected to boost winter tourism and recreation and bring an economic driver back to the village, state officials said last week.
Once a winter staple in the village, the rink has deteriorated over the past 20 years. Aging equipment made it hard to maintain the ice, along with worn ice mats and sideboards that resulted in just a few days of use each year, forcing village officials to weigh costly repairs or shuttering the facility.
“It was completely unworkable,” said Mayor Kevin Stuessi, who said the village made the decision not to open the attraction at all this past winter.
Officials estimate the new rink will cost $1.7 million and they plan to seek grants and fundraise to cover the remaining costs. Stuessi said the village also received an anonymous $25,000 donation to pay for the new rink.
The village board can now hire an engineer to design the rink, which Stuessi envisions opening in 2026, the 25th anniversary of Mitchell Park.
Nancy Kouris, president of the village Business Improvement District and owner of Blue Duck Bakery, said merchants “definitely noticed a difference” this winter with the rink closed. “It brings vibrancy to the village in the offseason, and we need that,” Kouris said. “Once you get into the new year, January, February, March is tough for local businesses.”
Officials estimated in 2022 that prior to the pandemic, the rink brought in $40,000 to village coffers.
Former Village Mayor Dave Kapell, who spearheaded plans for Mitchell Park, said an ice skating rink wasn’t part of the original blueprint for the waterfront park.
It actually started as an idea by a restaurant owner across the street to turn a stubborn puddle into a skating rink in 1996, the year the village acquired the property.
“There was this low area that would fill up and form a big puddle that would stay all winter,” Kapell said. “So we ringed it with hay bales … put in a couple of lights, and lo and behold we had cold weather, it froze and was an instant success.”
Then the village built the seasonal rink, which opened in 2005.
The rink project is part of a larger initiative to improve infrastructure at the park, including a $3 million bulkhead replacement, new walkways and better stormwater management.
In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul called the park a “cherished recreational space” and economic driver for the village by "ensuring that the park continues to thrive as a gathering place for families and a source of wintertime enjoyment for years to come.”
Stuessi said Greenport is becoming more of a year-round destination as businesses remain open and new institutions, like the North Fork Arts Center, provide entertainment in the offseason.
“It’s going to be really magical to see a family come and ice skate, grab some lunch and see a movie or performance at North Fork Arts Center all in the same day,” the mayor said.
Greenport Village will use a $1.2 million state grant to get its residents back on ice.
The village will replace a defunct ice skating rink in Mitchell Park that's expected to boost winter tourism and recreation and bring an economic driver back to the village, state officials said last week.
Once a winter staple in the village, the rink has deteriorated over the past 20 years. Aging equipment made it hard to maintain the ice, along with worn ice mats and sideboards that resulted in just a few days of use each year, forcing village officials to weigh costly repairs or shuttering the facility.
“It was completely unworkable,” said Mayor Kevin Stuessi, who said the village made the decision not to open the attraction at all this past winter.
Officials estimate the new rink will cost $1.7 million and they plan to seek grants and fundraise to cover the remaining costs. Stuessi said the village also received an anonymous $25,000 donation to pay for the new rink.
The village board can now hire an engineer to design the rink, which Stuessi envisions opening in 2026, the 25th anniversary of Mitchell Park.
Nancy Kouris, president of the village Business Improvement District and owner of Blue Duck Bakery, said merchants “definitely noticed a difference” this winter with the rink closed. “It brings vibrancy to the village in the offseason, and we need that,” Kouris said. “Once you get into the new year, January, February, March is tough for local businesses.”
Officials estimated in 2022 that prior to the pandemic, the rink brought in $40,000 to village coffers.
Former Village Mayor Dave Kapell, who spearheaded plans for Mitchell Park, said an ice skating rink wasn’t part of the original blueprint for the waterfront park.
It actually started as an idea by a restaurant owner across the street to turn a stubborn puddle into a skating rink in 1996, the year the village acquired the property.
“There was this low area that would fill up and form a big puddle that would stay all winter,” Kapell said. “So we ringed it with hay bales … put in a couple of lights, and lo and behold we had cold weather, it froze and was an instant success.”
Then the village built the seasonal rink, which opened in 2005.
The rink project is part of a larger initiative to improve infrastructure at the park, including a $3 million bulkhead replacement, new walkways and better stormwater management.
In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul called the park a “cherished recreational space” and economic driver for the village by "ensuring that the park continues to thrive as a gathering place for families and a source of wintertime enjoyment for years to come.”
Stuessi said Greenport is becoming more of a year-round destination as businesses remain open and new institutions, like the North Fork Arts Center, provide entertainment in the offseason.
“It’s going to be really magical to see a family come and ice skate, grab some lunch and see a movie or performance at North Fork Arts Center all in the same day,” the mayor said.
New ice rink
- Greenport got a $1.2 million state grant for a new ice rink in Mitchell Park.
- The old rink, which opened in 2005, has deteriorated and did not open this past winter.
- Officials aim to open the new rink in 2026, the 25th anniversary of the waterfront park.
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