Lace up your ice skates. You could be the next Shani Davis, the Chicago-native Olympic speedskater.
The new winding ice skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park is set to open in late November or early December, said Bob O'Neill, president of the Grant Park Conservancy.
"This is the only place in Chicago you can skate along a creek-like path," he said.
The ribbon will be the first attraction to open in Maggie Daley Park, which has been under construction since 2012. The forthcoming park, at the north end of Grant Park, is bordered by Columbus Drive, Randolph Street, Monroe Street and Lake Shore Drive. To the west, Millennium Park, which is home to the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink, is connected to the project by a pedestrian bridge.
EXTRA: Maggie Daley Park construction photos
"Millennium Park is very popular but it's a rink. In this case, you'll be meandering through pine trees and around a climbing wall," O'Neill said.
The ice skating ribbon will have an admission fee, according to the Chicago Park District. Last winter, the park district began charging a $3 fee for adult open skate at its outdoor ice rinks. There's no word yet on what the fee will be for the ribbon or other rinks this season.
An ice rink used to be located at the now-shuttered Daley Bicentennial Plaza-the largest of the three sections that will make up the $55 million Maggie Daley Park.
The Chicago Park District said Maggie Daley Park is on schedule and on budget. Although the ice skating ribbon will open this winter, the entire park is set to open in the spring, a spokeswoman said.
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The ice skating ribbon can help make parks a year-round amenity, O'Neill said. "We live here 12 months of the year, and December, January, February and March especially can be pretty brutal." In the summer, the ice skating feature will become a walking path.
"I will guarantee you people will love it," he said.
At the south end of Grant Park, skateboarders and BMX riders can expect a park of their own. The feature, located near Michigan Avenue and the 11th Street bridge, will open around the same time as the ice skating ribbon.
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Passersby will be able to watch the action at the $2.65 million, three-acre skate park from viewing platforms and from the bridge.
"We have a really interesting opportunity because you're looking down over it," O'Neill said.
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