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Dodgeville Ice Rink Restrooms Completed

The Charter Township of Portage owns approximately 7 acres of land where the Dodgeville ice rink, small playground, basketball hoops and warming house are located. After the Portage Health Foundation helped fund the replacement of the ice rink surface and upgrading of the boards, it was evident that the increased number of younger skaters and families enjoying the new rink deserved a better warming house facility, one with a restroom.

In 2016, the Township successfully applied for a Department of Natural Resources Recreation Passport Grant. Upper Peninsula Engineers and Architects were involved in the initial restroom design during 2017, matching the existing cement block building with the new addition. The block restroom design was advertised and went out for bids during the summer of 2018, the low bid came in at $90,000, well over the UPEA engineers cost estimate.

Working with the DNR and UPEA, the Township redesigned the proposed block addition utilizing a stick/frame design which would allow for more prospective bidders and hopefully generating a lower bid cost. The Township received a grant extension from the DNR due to the Father’s Day Storm and the restroom design. In February of 2019, bids were opened. The stick/frame design came in $20,000 less than the original block building design and was awarded to Dirtworks Contracting from Laurium. During the spring and summer of 2019, Dirtworks Contracting did an excellent job constructing the new restroom addition.

The Township “match” portion in the original DNR grant, $13,200, was satisfied through labor and equipment time supplied by the Township’s Department of Public Works employees, plus the UPEA engineering costs paid for by the Township.

The new handicapped accessible addition contains two restrooms, many more feet of recycled material benches as well as recycled material garbage cans. Energy efficiency is addressed in the new restroom addition by LED lighting throughout, a smaller and more efficient water heater, new roof insulation and motion sensors for lighting control.

The new DNR Recreation passport funded restroom facility and warming house will be open to the public for this winter’s skating season.

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