Officials expect the Arlington Square Ice Rink — scheduled to open Friday — should make a profit this year, the first time since it began operations in 2009.However, Parks and Recreation Director Roger Moellendorf said that’s not really the point. “That’s the secondary purpose of it,” he said. “The primary purpose is to provide a recreational opportunity in the dead of winter right downtown.”Moellendorf said the Downtown Business Association has worked with the city to make the ice rink a draw to the area. He said more than 10,000 skaters visited the rink last year, including many young people. “We get a lot of teenagers after school and on weekends,” he said. “It’s one of the hidden benefits. It keeps people engaged in positive activities.”Last year, the rink recovered 98 percent of its direct costs, despite investing in infrastructure and getting through an unprecedented warm winter. That compares with expenditures of more than $100,000 to support the rink when it first started operating.The rink is scheduled to open 3 p.m. Friday and run through Jan. 21. Operation of the ice rink is weather-dependent, and hours may change according to sun, wind, rain and snow conditions.Call the Arlington Square Ice Rink hotline at 775-283-7429 to ensure that it is open and operating. For complete details, go to www.carson.org/index.aspx?page=2669.
