NEENAH (NBC 26) — What started as a vision over three years ago is now a reality. The ice rink at The Plaza in downtown Neenah opens Friday.
“We rarely undertake a project in the city that has essentially unanimous approval. This was one of those features,” said Chris Haese, the city's director of community development.
The vision for the rink started in 2017 when John Bergstrom, the chairman of Bergstrom Automotive, had the idea to build a rink inspired by the Rockefeller Center in Neenah's downtown. Bergstrom and a group of investors funded the project as a gift to the city.
The ice rink fits 150 people. The rink is 122 feet long and 59 feet wide, the same size as the Rink in New York City.
“He was able to raise all the funds for the construction of the facility and have it built here in less than 12 months," Haese said.
Day passes for skating is $5 for children and $8 for audlts. Daily ice skate rental is $5 and visitors can also bring their own skates. Opening weekend at the rink will include a professional figure skating exhibition and free skating lessons for kids.
Aside from the rink, one of the main features of The Plaza is its coffee shop, Globe Coffee.
“In the coffee shop, we roast our own coffee beans, we make lots of delicious coffee drinks and we have light fare,” said Lizzy Bergstrom-Auth, the manager of The Plaza.
Some of the items featured at Globe Coffee this season will include cheese fondue, charcuterie boards, and s'mores trays that can be roasted on-site at The Plaza’s firepits.
The ice rink will remain open until mid-March and will operate as an outdoor patio in the summer months. City officials say the plaza will draw more visitors to the city’s downtown.
“It’s really a community gathering place and there’s no better place to have a facility like this other than in the heart of your community,” Haese said.
To see the opening weekend schedule and the The Plaza's hours, you can visit plazaneenah.com
