Windom Park ice rink will remain open for the winter season

Northeast Minneapolis will have an outdoor rink this winter after all.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board announced Friday that it will keep the Windom Park outdoor rink open for the 2024-25 winter season. That means northeast Minneapolis will still have three outdoor rinks, located in Windom, Logan and Van Cleve parks.

The decision was made after “hearing from the community” last week, according to a news release.

The Park Board’s original plan was to close four outdoor rinks — including the Windom Park location — due to climate change and increased costs of supplies and materials as well as fluctuating lake ice and warming house costs. Powderhorn and Webber Park rinks will still be closed this winter, with up to three additional rink closures next year, according to the board.

Joe Dziedzic, a former Golden Gopher who went on to play in the NHL for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Phoenix Coyotes, grew up in northeast Minneapolis and defended the rink last week upon hearing about its possible closure.

“For me, Windom is where it all began. It’s where I learned to skate and learned to love the game,” he said. “I spent a lot of hours playing with my buddies down at that rink. Lots of good memories.”

Northeast Minneapolis residents will have the chance to make some more memories at the rink this year, as long as rinks are open for more than one week, as was the case during last year’s record-breaking warm winter.