Photo courtesy of the Village of Lauriuim. After months of fundraising efforts, the Gipp Ice Arena will receive a new ice generating system this fall.

LAURIUM – After a months-long fundraising project, the Gipp Ice Arena will get its new ice condenser system, according to Laurium Village Manager Ian Lewis.

“This project will be slated to start this Fall,” Lewis said. “Over the past six months, the village has worked tirelessly to ensure that ice skating, figure skating, and hockey remains a pivotal part of our community and the culture up here in the Copper Country.”

Lewis said that although fundraising for Phase 1 of the arena project has been met, the village administration and the village council will continue to seek funding opportunities to ensure that more projects continue to get accomplished for the ice arena and recreation facilities.

Phase II of the arena project, replacing the boards and glass, is estimated at $200K, the flooring phase is estimated at $700K. Erickson said the new glass, will be higher than it is right now for safety reasons.

The Phase 1 fundraising was completed just in time. At the regular February Village Council meeting, Village Trustee Jeff Erickson said that the “drop dead” date for the project was June.

“We need to have everything ordered, everything into this project by June 1, in order it to hit the November time line,” Erickson said. “This is to have everything operational, have everything complete by mid-October, testing of the system and ready for ice by our normal schedule, which is November.”

Lewis and the village wish to acknowledge those who contributed to the project.

“I would like to say thank you to Andy Storm, the Copper Shores Foundation, the Calumet Hockey Association, and all of the donors that supported this fundraiser via monetary or equipment donations. Without your assistance this project would not have been possible,” he said.