First Selectman's Rink User Committee for Design and Planning
Rink Replacement Project Newsletter February 2022
Progress continues towards the creation of a modern, high-quality replacement for the Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink. The Town’s architect, SLAM Collaborative of Glastonbury, CT is developing a preliminary design to meet the needs of Greenwich’s users: a regulation ice surface, properly-equipped locker rooms, modern restrooms for the public, spaces for eating, a room for meetings and parties of skaters, a modern scoreboard and public address system, and improved spectator seating, among others. The replacement building design will incorporate the latest technology to apply both sustainable and energy conservation systems, including thermal insulation, heat pumps, energy recovery in the restrooms, low flow water fixtures and equipment to allow for installation of photovoltaic solar panels, among other energy-efficient features.
The Town is planning comprehensively for a beautiful park and rink facility which will serve the community with excellence for decades to come. In November 2021, the Board of Selectmen officially named the 13.4 acre Eugene Morlot Memorial Park and permanently protected the Byram Veterans Memorial Tree Grove within Morlot Park. The plan includes improved vehicle access from Western Jr. Highway. The final layout will also provide an improved Strazza Field for baseball, with regulation dimensions and better orientation.
The project webpage includes over 100 pages of information, including FAQs, an estimated project schedule, and preliminary sketches.
The Town’s Department of Public Works has begun discussions of the project with the Planning and Zoning Commission. These discussions focus on a replacement rink sited on the existing footprint of today’s rink. This would take the current rink out of service during demolition and construction. The Town is exploring alternate options to serve Greenwich skaters during this outage.
The First Selectman presented the FY23 budget on Tuesday, January 25th, 2022. The budget reflects this project being pushed out one fiscal year, to FY24, to allow the Rink User Committee for Design and Planning to gain public feedback & review project scope. More budget information can be found here: https://www.greenwichct.gov/460/Budget-Documents-Schedules
The First Selectman’s Rink User Committee for Design and Planning meets monthly, and public participation is encouraged. Agendas can be found on our website. Also, your input, suggestions, and comments are invited at any time. Please contact the Committee.