Greenport Village will use a $1.2 million state grant to get its residents back on the ice.
The village will replace a defunct ice skating rink in Mitchell Park, which is expected to boost winter tourism and recreation and return an economic engine to the village, state officials said last week.
The rink was once a major part of winter sports in the village, but has fallen into disrepair over the past 20 years. Outdated equipment made ice maintenance difficult, and worn-out ice mats and boards meant the rink could only be used a few days a year. Village officials were now forced to consider costly repairs or closing the facility.
“It was completely unfeasible,” said Mayor Kevin Stuessi, who said the municipality made the decision last winter not to open the attraction at all.
Officials estimate the new rink will cost $1.7 million and plan to seek grants and donations to cover the remaining costs. Stuessi said the village also received an anonymous donation of $25,000 to help fund the new rink.
The council can now commission an engineer to plan the project, which Stuessi plans to open in 2026, the 25th anniversary of Mitchell Park.
Nancy Kouris, president of the village’s Business Improvement District and owner of Blue Duck Bakery, said merchants have “definitely noticed a difference” this winter with the rink closed. “It brings life to the village in the off-season and we need that,” Kouris said. “Once the new year starts, January, February and March are tough on local businesses.”
In 2022, officials estimated that the rink brought in $40,000 to village coffers before the pandemic.
Former mayor Dave Kapell, who pushed for plans for Mitchell Park, said an ice skating rink was not always part of the original plan for the waterfront park.
Actually, it all started with an idea from a restaurant owner across the street to turn a stubborn puddle into an ice skating rink in 1996 when the village purchased the property.
“There was this depression that filled up and formed a big puddle that stayed there all winter,” Kapell said. “So we surrounded it with hay bales … put up some lights, and lo and behold, it was cold weather, it froze, and it was an instant success.”
The village then built a seasonal ice rink, which opened in 2005.
The rink project is part of a larger initiative to improve the park’s infrastructure, which also includes a $3 million bulkhead replacement, new walkways and improved stormwater management.
In a statement, Hochul said the park is a “valued recreational spot” and an economic driver for the village, “ensuring the park continues to thrive as a gathering place for families and a source of winter fun for years to come,” the governor said.
Stuessi said Greenport is becoming more of a year-round destination as businesses remain open and new facilities like the North Fork Arts Center provide off-season entertainment.
“It will be truly magical to see a family come together to skate, have lunch and watch a movie or a performance at the North Fork Arts Center on the same day,” the mayor said.
Greenport Village will use a $1.2 million state grant to get its residents back on the ice.
The village will replace a defunct ice skating rink in Mitchell Park, which is expected to boost winter tourism and recreation and return an economic engine to the village, state officials said last week.
The rink was once a major part of winter sports in the village, but has fallen into disrepair over the past 20 years. Outdated equipment made ice maintenance difficult, and worn-out ice mats and boards meant the rink could only be used a few days a year. Village officials were now forced to consider costly repairs or closing the facility.
“It was completely unfeasible,” said Mayor Kevin Stuessi, who said the municipality made the decision last winter not to open the attraction at all.
Officials estimate the new rink will cost $1.7 million and plan to seek grants and donations to cover the remaining costs. Stuessi said the village also received an anonymous donation of $25,000 to help fund the new rink.
The council can now commission an engineer to plan the project, which Stuessi plans to open in 2026, the 25th anniversary of Mitchell Park.
Nancy Kouris, president of the village’s Business Improvement District and owner of Blue Duck Bakery, said merchants have “definitely noticed a difference” this winter with the rink closed. “It brings life to the village in the off-season and we need that,” Kouris said. “Once the new year starts, January, February and March are tough on local businesses.”
In 2022, officials estimated that the rink brought in $40,000 to village coffers before the pandemic.
Former mayor Dave Kapell, who pushed for plans for Mitchell Park, said an ice skating rink was not always part of the original plan for the waterfront park.
Actually, it all started with an idea from a restaurant owner across the street to turn a stubborn puddle into an ice skating rink in 1996 when the village purchased the property.
“There was this depression that filled up and formed a big puddle that stayed there all winter,” Kapell said. “So we surrounded it with hay bales … put up some lights, and lo and behold, it was cold weather, it froze, and it was an instant success.”
The village then built a seasonal ice rink, which opened in 2005.
The rink project is part of a larger initiative to improve the park’s infrastructure, which also includes a $3 million bulkhead replacement, new walkways and improved stormwater management.
In a statement, Hochul said the park is a “valued recreational spot” and an economic driver for the village, “ensuring the park continues to thrive as a gathering place for families and a source of winter fun for years to come,” the governor said.
Stuessi said Greenport is becoming more of a year-round destination as businesses remain open and new facilities like the North Fork Arts Center provide off-season entertainment.
“It will be truly magical to see a family come together to skate, have lunch and watch a movie or a performance at the North Fork Arts Center on the same day,” the mayor said.
