Big Chill taking it’s cool ice rink to downtown Pittsburg

The Big Chill, one of the region’s largest outdoor seasonal ice skating rinks, has found a new home: downtown Pittsburg.

The popular ice skating venue was asked to move earlier this year from The Streets of Brentwood shopping center, which plans to build apartments near the rink’s site. Now the city of Pittsburg is hoping Brentwood’s loss will be its gain.

The Pittsburg City Council this week unanimously approved a licensing agreement with Polarsports LLC and authorized funding to prepare and maintain an area at downtown’s John Buckley Square for a temporary outdoor ice skating rink, which will be the city’s first.

“It’s all about how can we bring new and creative ways to bring people here, whether it’s into the old town or into our community, to showcase Pittsburg and what a great place it is,” City Manager Garrett Evans said at the council meeting. “The city is very excited to bring ice skating downtown. It’s something we had planned for. The city had that vision when we first started designing the park.”

City Engineer Dick Abono said John Buckley Square was designed with basic infrastructure such as drainage, electrical power, chiller piping and access that’s needed for an ice resurfacing machine.

Open since 2015, the 2-acre park on Railroad Avenue in the heart of downtown has been a hub of activities, including car shows, outdoor movies and concerts, Abono said.

The 560-by-140-foot covered ice skating rink, which serves up to 300 skaters, would be located in the basin of John Buckley Square and include an ice lodge, resort-style seating and concessions, he said.

Under the plan, the city would pay the operator a $120,000 annual fee over three years. The money would come from the Pittsburg Power Co. reserves account, and park dedication money would pay for the park preparation and maintenance work.

This proposal would extend the family-friendly activities through the winter, Abono said, noting the covered ice rink would be open from Nov. 22 to Jan. 20.

“It could be invaluable to our community to have more family-oriented activities, to have more opportunities for families to come together and enjoy Pittsburg,” Councilwoman Merl Craft said. “To continue it during our off-season — that, to me, is a plus.”

The proposal also will bring 60 seasonal jobs for youths, Abono said.

“I think it is a wonderful opportunity for our high school and college students to provide them jobs,” Councilwoman Shanelle Scales-Preston said. “I would like to make sure those jobs are given first, though, to our city students — local, meaning Pittsburg.”

Under the proposal, Pittsburg will benefit from a revenue-sharing plan that ensures any amount above $200,000 will be shared at 50-50, the city manager said.

Evans said sponsors could help lower the costs as well.

The only potential drawbacks flagged during the meeting concerned increased traffic and a dearth of downtown parking on crowded skating days.

“The two-hour parking is really indefinite parking,” resident Wolfgang Croskey said. “We might look at ways to enforce it ... maybe we can install some 30-minute spots.”

Craft suggested it’s time to encourage people to walk or bicycle in the city, saying parking “might not be close, but it is there.”

But Evans said the city hasn’t had problems accommodating recent events that drew 1,500 people or more to downtown with existing parking lots, offstreet parking, BART and buses.

“We should have sufficient parking to handle the higher weekend days that will come with the (ice rink) facility,” he said.

Evans added that the city would work with TriDelta Transit to make sure there are enough buses from eBART’s Pittsburg station to downtown.

“We hope this becomes an annual event that goes on for years,” he said.

Following the unanimous vote, Polarsports owner Paul Bates said that he was excited to be part of Old Town Pittsburg’s revitalization plans.

“Pittsburg is ready for us,” he said. “They believe in what we offer. They saw the quality of our operations.”

And though the ice skating rink will be a bit more narrow than last year because of space constraints, Bates said it will feature the same amenities and more, including music, classes, special effects, expanded entertainment and video camera projections so skaters can see themselves on the big screen.

“I have a permanent smile tattooed on my face right now,” Bates said. “I see this as getting in at a time when we are going to be part of a great turnaround for the city of Pittsburg.”