"We're going to be down one sheet of ice for a period of time. For a lot of communities, that's not that big of a deal. But in Edina, it really is," Steve Peckham, the city's project communications coordinator, told the Sun Current after construction stalled at Braemar Arena's East Rink in late August.
In a normal year Braemar's indoor ice carries the fall, and the outdoor rinks show up later once the weather turns. This year the city's schedule has the 12 neighborhood park rinks opening on Dec. 19 and the rebuilt East Rink targeted for Dec. 26. That puts the outdoor ice first, even though it depends on the weather, and the indoor rink last.
An Indoor Rink Stopped by Frozen Ground
Frozen dirt held up a building whose whole job is making ice. After finishing the South Rink in July, crews moved to the East Rink to replace its floor and subfloor heating. They melted the ice, removed the top layer of sand, and pulled out the corroded steel coolant pipes, which date to the late 1960s. Digging deeper, they hit frozen ground. An engineering firm measured it on Monday, Aug. 24, and found frost 12 feet deep at its thickest point, according to the Sun Current.
The frost had been building for years. The same report says the East Rink's subfloor heating failed about a decade ago and the ground beneath it froze solid. As that frost expanded, the rink floor went uneven, leaving slow and fast spots that Braemar staff spent years trying to manage. Staff tested the rink for frost in 2023 and again the following summer because they knew the system had failed.
Pouring a new floor on top of it was never an option. The city's project page, as quoted by the Sun Current, puts it plainly: "To build a lasting facility, we must completely thaw the subsoil before construction resumes." Concrete poured over frozen ground would likely cause a major structural failure later on.
Why Dec. 26 Is a Target
The thaw itself went faster than the first estimate. Crews removed two feet of sand so the heating tubes and thermal pads could sit closer to the top of the frost, and the Ground Thaw Units started heating the floor on Sept. 11. After four weeks, an engineering firm tested the soil on Oct. 9 and found no frost. The city's East Rink update moved the target from Jan. 1 to Dec. 26 and laid out the remaining steps:
- Remove the Ground Thaw Units.
- Install a new subfloor heating system and coolant pipes.
- Pour a new concrete rink floor.
- Let the concrete cure for 28 days.
- Open the rink for play by Dec. 26.
Count 28 days back from Dec. 26 and the concrete needs to be poured by about Nov. 28 for the date to hold. Everything before the pour has to fit into the roughly six weeks after the thaw units came out. The city's own update says there's no guarantee another unforeseen problem won't push the date back.
The Order Edina's Winter Opens In
Here is how the season is set to unfold as of late October, with each date coming from the city:
| Date | What opens | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 31 | Braemar Golf Dome, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily | Weather permitting, through April 30, 2027 |
| Dec. 19 | 12 neighborhood outdoor rinks | Weather permitting, through Feb. 16 |
| Dec. 26 | Braemar Arena East Rink | Construction target, not guaranteed |
| To be announced | Centennial Lakes Park skating | Depends on weather |
| Fall 2027 | Full Braemar Arena expansion | Overall project completion |
The first opening isn't ice. The Braemar Golf Dome opens this Saturday, Oct. 31. Standard bays cost $34 an hour or $18 per half hour, and every rate includes unlimited balls and Toptracer Range technology. The dome closes on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day and runs shortened hours on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
Getting to the dome is easier this year. Hilary Lane and Braemar Boulevard have been repaved and reopened. As of the city's Sept. 22 update, the new dome parking lot was still closed for finishing work, including fencing, EV charging stations, and final grading, and the city said it planned to open the lot for dome season. That same lot expansion is planned to hold four seasonal pickleball practice courts from May through October, once the dome comes down.
Fall Ice Means Two Sheets
Until Dec. 26, Braemar's public sessions share two sheets with every team that needs ice in a hockey-heavy city. Peckham told the Sun Current that staff would work with affected groups to reschedule ice time and find available ice elsewhere.
Public skating continues for now:
- Open skate: $7 per session, or $125 for a pass good for 12 months, with skate rental extra. The city's October calendar spreads daytime sessions across different sheets at different hours.
- Adult Open Hockey: Most Wednesdays from September through May, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., for adults 18 and older. Helmets are required, the fee is $7, and goalies skate free.
The city's November calendar lists Tuesday and Thursday open skate from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the East Rink, which is the sheet that won't be ready until late December. Call the arena or check the city calendar before heading over for one of those sessions.
The Park Rinks Are Next
The city's Winter 2026/Spring 2027 Activities Directory lists 12 outdoor rinks: Arden Park, Cornelia School Park, Countryside Park, Creek Valley School Park, Highlands Park, Lewis Park, Normandale Park, Pamela Park, Strachauer Park, Todd Park, Walnut Ridge Park and Weber Park. The season runs Dec. 19 to Feb. 16, weather permitting.
Posted hours are 4:30 to 9 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 1 to 8 p.m. on Sundays, with different hours on school holidays. That means a few days of winter break on park ice before the East Rink's target date. If December stays cold, the closest ice for a lot of families will be a few blocks from home, not at Braemar.
Centennial Lakes Park doesn't have a date yet. The directory says its opening depends on the weather and will be announced later. The lake is a stormwater pond, so the ice has to be thick enough before skaters and equipment can go on it, according to past Sun Current coverage.
Why This Squeeze Is Temporary
The East Rink is one part of a much bigger job. The $45.2 million Braemar Arena Upgrades and Expansion project adds a new indoor rink, expands the lobby, makes the drop-off area safer, adds ADA improvements, upgrades locker rooms and restrooms, and replaces the refrigeration, ice-making and HVAC systems.
The new rink will be built on the outdoor Backyard Rink, turning it into a fourth indoor sheet, according to the city's project notice. The overall plan keeps the arena open throughout and finishes in fall 2027. Until then, the South parking lot is closed and the main upper lot stays open.
In September the City Council approved a $33.2 million guaranteed maximum price for the construction contract, and the full project total stayed at $45.2 million. Funding comes from a half-cent sales and use tax that Edina voters approved in November 2022. Everyone who shops in Edina pays it, including the many nonresidents who also use Braemar.
That puts this winter in the middle of the project. The East Rink and South Rink floors are this year's work, the fourth sheet is still ahead, and the shortage of ice that drove the project, which the city says exceeds the arena's capacity, holds until 2027. For the next two months, Edina's most dependable public ice depends partly on December weather.
At Move Real Estate, our agents keep up with the things that shape an Edina week, including which rinks are open and which arena projects are still underway. If you'd like that kind of local detail on your side for your next move, Let's Connect.
