What will a new rink take?
The foundation of Portland’s future rink will take more than just donors with deep pockets. We’re outlining ways everyone can help our mission succeed.
With construction prices rising, the cost to build a traditional ice rink is at an all time high. Current estimates have nearly doubled in recent years, placing a $15 to $20 million price tag on our endeavor.
We know that number is daunting, so we wanted to share all the ways we’ll actually achieve our goal beyond the bank.
Grassroots support
As already demonstrated through the groundswell of support for the Save Lloyd Ice Coalition, this community is hungry for a rink that aligns with its values: inclusivity, accessibility, and affordability.
By being outspoken about the demand for a rink, we’ve already garnered the support of critical decision-makers and potential donors. Being loud works.
Simply sharing posts online, speaking with friends, family and colleagues allows those in power to see that this is something that the public wants. When we show that a rink is a popular option, people want to get on board.
Grassroots organizing can work wonders, especially when it creates a vast network of volunteers who can move mountains, and quickly.
Whether you have time to volunteer an hour a week, a month, or even a year, you can make a massive difference.
Volunteer opportunities will also garner relationships with the people you may one day hit the ice with to practice your spins or play a game of pickup hockey. Grow the sport you love by inviting a friend to come along to our next fundraising event or to stuff envelopes.
A “Unicorn” Site
In an early conversation with rink building experts, we were told we’re on a quest to find “a unicorn”: a site that meets all of the niche specs required to put down a sheet of ice.
We’ve been working diligently to vet every possible location in the city and have found dozens of contenders that are almost-but-not-quite-perfect. Maybe you are a unicorn wrangler and know of a site that ticks all of these boxes:
Clear span (no columns) building 85 feet x 200 feet, high ceilings
OR a vacant lot with 25,000-35,000 sq ft of buildable area
Commercial, mixed, or retail zoning
Sufficient electrical and utility capacity
Adequate parking (ideally 50+ spaces, including ADA)
Public transit accessible
If you have a passion for real estate, we’d love to get you on our site committee.
Connections and Partnerships
Have you ever sat in awe through movie credits, wondering how so many people could have worked on one film? The same goes for constructing a rink.
There are countless experts we’ll need to engage to get across the finish line. So many incredible professionals have already offered their knowledge, some even performing pro bono work for our nonprofit.
If you have unique knowledge or industry connections, we want to hear from you. We value input from those with experience building rinks, managing nonprofits, and maintaining thriving facilities.
Demonstrative Winning Strategies
While a permanent rink is still years away, there may be opportunities to present our vision with temporary programming. Engaging experts in hockey, figure skating, speed skating, and curling will allow us to demonstrate to potential donors that this can work.
Instilling confidence in those who want to support our vision involves both creating winning strategies from a management level, and seizing every opportunity to hit the ice ask skaters.
Donor Tiers
At the end of the day: yes, a rink costs a lot of money.
But even if you can’t personally write a check to cover the entire expense of a rink, you can help fund it.
Reaching our fundraising goal will take a few large donations, a moderate amount of medium donations, and a groundswell of small donations.
Pledging to make a monthly contribution, whether it’s $100 or $1, is a simple way to help us maintain our momentum as we hurdle toward a future where Portland once again has an ice rink where everyone can belong.
