October 17, 2012 at 2:54 p.m.
Renovations to ice arena's lobby, bathrooms nearly complete
Renovations to ice arena's lobby, bathrooms nearly complete
The Rhinelander Ice Association, which operates the arena, is nearly finished remodeling the bathrooms and lobby. The area is expected to be open this weekend as the Rhinelander Street Cats face the Soo Firehawks in a three-game Midwest Junior Hockey League series Friday through Sunday.
"They'll see a nice, new, clean look to the lobby and bathroom area. It will be a refreshing feeling when you come in," RIA manager Brett Aylesworth said.
The biggest renovations took place in the restrooms, which have been gutted and given a significant upgrade.
"The bathrooms were nearly 25 years old," Aylesworth said. "They were an almost original structure in this building and haven't seen much upgrading over the course of time. To be able to upgrade the bathrooms was key."
Not much has changed in the layout of the lobby, but that area did receive a new coat of paint and tongue-and-groove wainscoting.
"The lobby is basically a cosmetic upgrade, some tongue-and-groove paneling, all new paint, new ceiling tiles and new textures on the walls," Aylesworth said. "The bathrooms are basically all new. They've been gutted and redone. Similar format and structure, but new tile, new flooring, new walls and new ceilings."
Aylesworth said the association used monies raised from its face-off banquet and other fundraisers to help fund the project. Additional monies have been donated, including $2,500 from the Plum Creek Foundation, which was used to purchase wood from Enterprise Wood Products for the wainscoting project in the lobby.
Aylesworth added that the renovations will be noticed by everyone who uses the facility, from parents who take their kids to practice to visitors who come to the RIA for weekend games and programs.
"It's about having nice place that people can feel at home," he said. "They are here enough. They want to feel like it's a nice place to come to. We have a lot of people coming to our facility from the southern part of the state and even the U.P. (of Michigan). It gives them an impression of Rhinelander as a whole."
The timing of the project's completion coincides with activities getting into full swing at the RIA. Youth hockey and figure skating practices begin Monday.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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