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Council directs staff to get bids and engineering input for Town Square improvements, including ice rink and potential building
Summary
Midway council reviewed Town Square master‑plan options — rink concrete replacement, a possible building, food‑truck/fire‑pit area and pathways — and asked staff and contractors to produce cost estimates and engineer advice for a follow‑up work session.
Council members and staff spent an extended discussion on Town Square improvements, focusing on the city’s outdoor ice rink, a possible year‑round building to replace aging trailers, and related pedestrian and gathering‑space upgrades.
Staff and council described three immediate areas of work: (1) the ice rink surface and underlying piping (staff said the current tubing was recycled from another installation and the condition/age is uncertain), (2) a southern sidewalk/path adjacent to the rink to replace temporary mats and improve setup/tear‑down operations, and (3) the east lawn area where councilors discussed a food‑truck court, fire pits and a possible small building to replace the trailers currently used for rink operations.
Staff said the city currently has $600,000 in matching funds budgeted for Town Square improvements and has applied for an additional grant (staff said another grant decision is expected May 1). If the additional grant is awarded, staff said total available funds could rise toward $1.2–1.3 million (staff emphasized grant rules and match requirements must be confirmed). Councilors discussed funding scenarios in parallel — preparing bid packages both with and without the additional grant — so staff can stop work if grant outcomes change.
Council asked staff to obtain three types of technical input before the next focused work session: (a) an ice‑rink engineering assessment (staff identified LA Rosier and/or other rink engineers to advise on slab thickness, tubing spacing/diameter, insulation and cooling performance), (b) a contractor cost estimate/competitive pricing for concrete removal or resurfacing (Watts Group and BD Bush were mentioned as potential partners; BD Bush offered aggressive pricing and possible change‑order coordination to save time), and (c) cost estimates for a building shell and associated site work. Staff said Watts Group had previously provided a strong price on building work and that bundling work reduces mobilization costs.
Councilors debated whether to fully replace the rink concrete or apply a surface coating that could enable summer use while preserving existing tubing. Several council members cautioned that a coating raises questions about cooling performance and longevity; staff recommended the city obtain a rink‑design engineer’s opinion on the tradeoffs.
The council asked staff to return at a work session (the council discussed holding a meeting on April 18) with preliminary cost estimates, grant status updates and a draft phasing plan that would allow work in available construction windows (summer before Swiss Days and the post‑Swiss Days/late‑fall window). No formal vote was taken; councilors emphasized prioritizing the rink work and ensuring that any building or plaza work does not delay rink season operations.
