Ground Broken on Town Square Ice Rink

Within weeks, skaters could be doing figure eights on Rockville Town Square plaza, where an ice rink is under construction.

Federal Realty Investment Trust, which owns and operates the retail center, expects the rink to be open for skating by the end of December, Assistant City Manager Jennifer Kimball told the Rockville City Council on Monday.

A significant portion of the is closed as crews construct a platform to support the ice surface and use a backhoe to dig up the plaza’s pavers in order install an underground refrigeration system.

Buried refrigeration lines will connect to a compressor in a private parking garage and a cooling tower on a nearby rooftop.

In October 2010, the city’s to construct the ice rink. But Federal Realty to open the rink in time for last year's skating season.

The plan approved last year calls for a 120-by-60-foot rink and a skate rental shop in the pavilion on the plaza, which is a city park maintained by Federal Realty under an agreement with the city.

The rink will be operated by Tri-State Ice Management of Annapolis, which also .

Federal Realty will hold a holiday open house and tree lighting ceremony from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday. Town Square also will feature a menorah for Hanukah. See the Rockville Town Square website for more details.