Hamilton Town Center proposes temporary skating rink

An outdoor skating rink could be coming to Hamilton Town Center, at least for a while.

Hamilton Town Center has filed plans with the city of Noblesville to build a temporary ice rink on a 6.5-acre grassy field at 13077 Harrell Parkway, between Town Center Boulevard and Norell Road.

Hamilton Town Center previously operated a skating rink at the site from Nov. 10, 2015 to Jan. 31, 2016, according to town documents.

The outdoor shopping mall has applied for a temporary use permit to build the rink, requesting to operate the rink from Aug. 15 to Dec. 31.

The rink's skating surface—which would be about 30 feet by 60 feet—would be made of synthetic material, so it won’t be dependent on cold weather. It would be located near the center’s Christmas-time Santa Hut, plans show.

In addition to the rink, seating and a storage shed for skate rentals and ticket sales would be built on the site to accommodate the amenity.

Last winter, Carmel transformed Center Green, the plaza at the Center for the Performing Arts, into a German-themed holiday market featuring an ice rink open to the public. The market was open from Thanksgiving until Christmas, but ice skating continued until March.

Noblesville also debuted an ice rink at the newly opened Federal Hill Commons last winter. That rink, 60 feet by 80 feet, was open from Nov. 24 through Jan. 15 and could accommodate about 200 skaters at a time.