Birmingham warms up to outdoor ice rink

Thanks to some creative thinking, it looks like Birmingham's Barnum Park will become a year-round neighborhood destination. The City Commission recently authorized staff to put together a budget for an outdoor ice rink, including maintenance and installation costs. The rink, which should go up this winter, has the support of many Birmingham neighborhood associations.

But Birmingham doesn't plan to spend a lot of money on the rink, which is estimated to cost $12,000 for installation and $5,000 yearly for maintenance. City Manager Tom Markus says he hopes to raise half the cost in private donations, which the city will match. There will be no benches, no lights or Zamboni -- just an old-fashioned structure of boards and ice. And for the kiddies this winter, it seems that will be just enough.

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