Reno Ice has officially opened its doors; first public skating to come Friday
The Jennifer M. O'Neal Community Ice Arena officially opened its doors Monday afternoon.
The $9.5 million project in south Reno is operating under a limited capacity due to local and statewide COVID-19 regulations. The first public skate is scheduled for Friday from 7-8:30 p.m.
Masks will be required to enter the facility with no exceptions. Per CDC guidelines, a maximum of 50 skaters will be allowed inside the rink at one time. Social distancing is required from those not in your group. Cost is $10 per person plus $4 per pair of skate rentals, if required. Sessions are 90 minutes long.
Reno Ice is requiring participants to register online in advance and reserve admission tickets to get into the facility. There will be no walk-up sales. Refunds will not be offered once you sign up. A grand opening is planned once COVID-19 capacity limitations are lifted.
Ground was broken on the project in April with the finishing touches still ongoing as Reno Ice works to complete the snack bar and restaurant level. The building, which features an NHL-sized ice rink, will have a capacity of roughly 900 people once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted. The 38,843-square-foot building is one-of-a-kind in the United States as the ice plant is from Nova Scotia, the rink from Germany, the piping from Poland and the boards from Finland.
In addition to free skating, the facility willhost hockey practices and games, curling matches, broomball and figure skating lessons, among other events. You can see a full schedule on Reno Ice's website.
"The most rewarding part is when I see kids out here or the board sees kids out here, it's all worth it," said Joel Grace, the president of the Reno Ice Board of Directors. "That's what we did it for. That's why we organized the non-profit. That's why we have the scholarships for kids who can't afford to play and putting those types of programs in place. But we really just wanted to bring another alternative for kids to be active as well as for the adults to be active in the community."
