No Downtown Fresno Ice Rink this holiday season due to Fulton Mall project
The Downtown Fresno Ice Rink that has operated on the Fulton Mall every winter since 2012 will not return this season, according to the Downtown Fresno Partnership.
A decision was made in June not to bring the ice rink back because there was a chance the Fulton Mall construction project could be underway, said Aaron Blair, the partnership’s president and chief executive officer. It will be on hold until after the mall project is completed, he said.
In October, construction bids for the project came in over budget. City officials had hoped the low bid would be about $20 million. American Paving, at $23.05 million, had the lowest of the three bids. The others were Lewis C. Nelson at $23.3 million and Granite Construction at $27.68 million.
City spokesman Mark Standriff said Friday morning that the Fulton Mall project is moving forward. A $22.4 million bid from American Paving is on the Dec. 3 city council agenda.
The ice rink proved to be a popular attraction. Christmas Day 2013, for instance, saw hundreds take advantage of it on a 69-degree day.
The partnership is working on promoting the 86th annual Downtown Fresno Christmas Parade on Dec. 5.
BoNhia Lee: 559-441-6495, @bonhialee
This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 5:16 PM with the headline "No Downtown Fresno Ice Rink this holiday season due to Fulton Mall project."