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Council approves ice skating facility at mall |
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AV Press |
| Date Posted: |
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Oct 5, 07 - 7:12 PM |
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bwilson@avpress.com |
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Antelope Valley |
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Council approves ice skating facility at mall
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Friday, October 5, 2007.
By BOB WILSON
Valley Press Staff Writer
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PALMDALE - Voting unanimously and without discussion, the City Council agreed Wednesday to spend nearly $183,000 to provide an ice-skating facility at the Antelope Valley Mall over the Christmas holiday.
According to a staff report prepared for the council's consideration, the city will pay $87,856 to the Frozen Water L.P. company for the installation of the rink and for the required equipment and support services.
The city also expects to spend about $60,000 for electric generators and other equipment needed for the rink's operation and about $35,000 for part-time workers.
The rink will be open for public use from Dec. 1 to Dec. 23, Mayor Jim Ledford said prior to Wednesday's vote.
The rink will be 60 feet wide and 80 feet long, accommodating 190 skaters at a time.
The expenditure will bring holiday ice skating back to Palmdale, where it was initiated in 2004, Ledford said.
The temporary rink will be set up outside near the location of the old mall theater, the mayor said.
The theater space is being renovated to house several new restaurants, he said.
Besides providing a venue for entertainment, the rink will help draw attention to the restaurants and the mall as a whole, Ledford said. "You will get that view from the freeway that says, 'Come to me; skate, shop, eat,' " he said.
"It's exciting," Ledford added. "It will do a lot to promote holiday sales at the mall and will help make it the place to be."
The cost of the rink will be offset in large part by the revenue generated by ticket sales, he said.
That revenue could be as much as $168,000, leaving a cost to the city of about $14,856, the council report showed.
The city began offering holiday ice-skating in 2004 in conjunction with the Clear Channel broadcasting corporation, which operates five radio stations in Lancaster.
The first year, a rink was set up in Marie Kerr Park for nine days. In 2005, the number of days were increased to 12, and the rink was expanded to 50 feet by 80 feet to accommodate more users.
In 2006, Clear Channel moved the rink from the public park in Palmdale to the Clear Channel baseball stadium in Lancaster, where the number of operating days was increased to 28.
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