Proposed plans to build a pavilion over the lower rink at Petoskey’s Winter Sports Park and to install a refrigeration system to extend the ice season have hit a dead end.
Both motions at the Jan. 19 Petoskey City Council meeting failed to garner a second, meaning both motions died without a vote.
According to agenda materials, efforts toward the project first began in 2020. Grants and donations raised close to $840,000.
“This has been obviously on our plate for a number of years,” said city manager Shane Horn. “We’ve talked about it at many different points in our public meetings. We have gone through the process. Back in October we put bids out for this project. This is a pavilion project, a structure that would be built over an all-purpose rink that would be used in the winter time for hockey purposes and in the summer, fall months we would be doing recreation programming.”
Cost estimates have soared in the years since the project was first proposed. Originally, the project was expected to cost around $600,000, to be funded by grants and donations. By the time the start of the Jan. 19 meeting rolled around, the project had increased to $1.72 million for the pavilion and $1.59 million for the refrigerated rink system. The city would, if the plans had been approved, covered the remaining $2.5 million from its fund balance.
By the end of the meeting, those numbers had jumped again. Mainly, steel costs had increased the pavilion estimate by $60,000.
“I’m just getting uncomfortable with how this is escalating,” said council member Joseph Nachtrab.
Both motions under consideration were to enter into contract with bidders for the work.
Council members discussed various options such as cutting the refrigeration system but keeping the replacement of rink boards and glass. Council members were not in agreement on a path forward, with some supporting both motions, one motion or neither motion.
While both proposals ultimately received motions — with some adjustment to the pavilion project resolution — they did not receive seconds and did not advance to a vote.
It is likely that the city will lose the grant funding dedicated for the project. Agenda materials state that “delaying the project may result in the loss of committed funds and also increased material costs.”
— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Proposal for Petoskey Winter Sports Park pavilion project fails to advance
Reporting by Jillian Fellows, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
