Riley Foundation Donation Puts Downtown Farmington on Ice

A "cornerstone" donation of $100,000 made by the George F. Riley Foundation will bring an ice rink to Riley Park in downtown Farmington this winter.

At a Thursday press conference, officials said the total cost of construction, estimated at $300,000, will be covered as much as possible by additional private donations. The City of Farmington and Farmington Downtown Development Authority (DDA) will back the project as the fundraising drive gets underway, to ensure the refrigerated rink will be open to skaters this winter.

Ideas on the table include a black-tie event, as well as family-friendly activities, DDA board president Melissa Andrade said.

Engineering consultants at OHM Advisors will donate their services for the site design process, Mayor Tom Buck said.

Downtown Farmington business owner Becky Burns was a member of the committee that originally planned the Walter E. Sundquist Farmington Pavilion and said that group envisioned an ice rink in the park. 

"It's very exciting," said  Burns, who with her husband Jeff Pavlik owns Sunflour Bakehaus. "I'm excited as a business owner, I'm excited as a resident, and I'm excited as a mom of kids who love to ice skate."

City manager Vince Pastue said the ice rink project was too costly to work into the pavilion budget back in 2005. "We tried to get the grade of the park to be as flat as possible, because that was always part of the long-term vision," he said. 

Andy Neevel of Farmington Hills, who works for S3 Architects in Farmington, said he believes the rink will draw younger people to the community, a goal discussed during the City of Farmington's visioning process. 

"It's definitely going to bring me out here," he said. 

The Riley Foundation originally donated $400,000 to complete Riley Park, and patriarch George Riley said in a statement that that family is "quite pleased" at how the park has become "a hub for families and friends to gather together and has also become a center for key events in Farmington."

"The Riley Foundation's commitment to create the Riley ice Rink creates a foruth season for activity in downtown," he said.