Final day for Depot ice skating

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Saturday marked the final day for ice skating at the Depot in downtown Minneapolis.

Owners of the historic building plan to turn the ice rink into permanent event space, adding 24,000 square feet to their already successful event venue business.

“We were getting so many inquiries for event space—we thought we were doing more for the community by adding event space than plowing millions of dollars into fixing the rink,” said Patrick Klinger of the Brand Enhancement Group, the marketing firm representing CSM.

Management told Fox 9 Saturday that the company was losing more than $500,000 a year on the rink.

When they learned the cooling unit would need to be replaced for a hefty, multi-million dollar price, they decided it was time to stop pumping money into the operation.

Future upgrades to the space will honor the history of the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Depot ice rink will be open until 11:30 p.m. on its final day, Saturday, March 11.