Our Project
With the help of the City of Ponderay and local donations, NIICE has initiated the building of a permanent ice arena at the Field of Dreams. Land has been acquired, initial foundation work, as well as infrastructure to the facility are being provided through the Ponderay Local Option Tax. Dasher boards and glass have been purchased. This is progress and represents many of the hard goods needed to complete phase one of our plan; a naturally chilled ice rink for the winter of 2024/25.
Phase 1a
Since the inception of our organization, we have been focused on bringing an attainable, affordable, and achievable ice surface to Bonner County. We've researched many possibilities and have what we feel is the best solution...
An outdoor,seasonal rink was erected in the Fall of 2024. This included a rink, boards, a chiller, a Zamboni, and 300 pairs of rental skates. Last year was phenomenal! We saw over 13,000 people using the ice and an incredible local response to the availability of the new recreational facility. Once the Field of Dreams facility is up and running, this smaller, ancillary rink will be moved to its permanent location adjacent to the main rink. This will allow for increased capacity at the holidays as well as greater access for the public.
- Locate and procure temporary/permanent location - Completed
- Infrastructure - Completed
- Boards - Completed
- Chiller -Completed
- Zamboni - Completed
- Rental Skates - Completed
Donations are still needed not only for improvements but to move forward with additional phases. This year, warming igloos were purchased as well as a scoreboard. We also anticipate additional concessions and expansions of the deck.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available! We have several levels to accommodate different needs and desires. See our "Sponsorship" page or contact us for more information.
All donations are tax deductible. and depending on the sponsorship level, include advertising on the dasher boards!
Phase 1
With the current seasonal rink operational, we now have a means to help finance upcoming phases. We intend to continue to utilize the current rink at Kooteani Cutoff while aquiring funds and throughtout the construction of additional phases at the Field of Dreams.
At this point, the first and second phases of this project have been largely combined. Through the use of a chilling unit, there will be increased days available to skate through consistent ice temperature and better ice quality. This requires a significant investment, but several needs have been completed. The land, dirt work, infrastructure, are being provided through the City of Ponderay and the Field of Dreams funded through LOT taxes. Our goal is to have a rink of this type ready for use in the Fall/Winter. Based on previous weather patterns, the ice will be useable for 35-50 days per season.
- Locate and procure temporary/permanent location - Completed*
- Infrastructure - In Progress*
- Purchase of perimeter boards and glass - $35000 - Completed*
- 200x85 Liner
- Shipping Containers (storage) - $10000 - Completed*
- Concrete Foundation
- Chiller Mats
- Glycol Refrigerant
- Used/New Chiller Unit
- Zamboni
Estimate Total 1.5 - 2.0M
*Purchased by the City of Ponderay for use at the Field of Dreams
Phase 2
Temperature as well as precipitation both negatively impact the ice. In phase 2 we will focus once again on increasing the number of usable days through putting a cover over the ice surface keeping precipitation away. The entire structure consists of a modular design. This will allow for the addition of walls, locker rooms, foyer, restrooms, concessions as deemed appropriate. The estimates included are for a steel structure without amenities.
- Steel Cover Package - $277,000
- Erection of Steel Cover - $200,000
Phase 3
Chillers and coverings to keep the sun off the ice are important steps toward maintaining and providing skateable ice. The final step in this project is to fully enclose a rink which will control the environment fully and allow for year-round skating opportunities. We are currently researching designs that can best fulfill these needs as well as those of the City of Ponderay and the Field of Dreams Facility.
- Fully Enclosed Rink - TBD