The Merrimack Lodge At White Park In Concord Is Now Open

CONCORD, NH — This winter, during the Black Ice Hockey tournament or while skating on the White Park pond, members of the Concord community will have a cool new place to get warmed up. Officials on Friday held a ribbon cutting for the park's new skate house known as the Merrimack Lodge. Concord City Councilors and other officials, members of the community, and the activists who raised a lot of money, as part of a public-private partnership, were all on hand to show the new place off.

Mayor Jim Bouley, who served as an emcee, remarked at how quickly money was raised and the building constructed, jokingly stating that city government can work quickly and efficiently sometimes.

Fifty-percent of the $1.15 million price tag needed to be raised through private donations.

The Black Ice Hockey Association made a sizable donation – $108K – to kick-off the fundraising effort. Merrimack County Savings Bank purchased the naming rights for 10-years after an $80,000 donation was made paid across a number of years.

Other corporate sponsors ponied up tens of thousands of dollars. New Hampshire Distributors, the Rowley Insurance Agency, the Rotary Club of Concord, and the Horace Blood Family Foundation all contributed $25,000 each; Grappone Automotive and The Hotel Concord each contributed $10,000. St. Paul’s School, the Davis and Towle Company, Duprey Companies, The Honorable Gov. John and Dr. Susan Lynch, David Parker of Parker Academy, The Rath Family, The Frizzell/Crandlemire Family, and the Norton Family each donated $5,000 or made memorial pledges. Other families and individuals purchased pavers at $1,000 and $500 each to help offset the cost.

Contractors involved with the construction also helped bring the skate house to reality by making in-kind donations. Those companies included The HL Turner Group LLC, Irish Electric Corp., Milestone Engineering & Construction, Swenson Granite Works, Tasker Landscaping LLC, Beau Truss, Inc., Belletetes Inc., and Gillies & Prittie Inc.

The lodge features an outdoor gas fireplace, an indoor fireplace, a kitchen, and restrooms. But it's not just for winter use: The lodge is available for rentals, too, for weddings, parties, and other events. The lodge replaced a 1950s building that was left in disrepair and closed during the 1990s.

Donations can still be made to get to fulfill the 50 percent private funding commitment. Checks can be mailed directly to Concord Parks & Recreation, 14 Canterbury Road, Concord, NH 03301. Write "Skate House" in the memo line. To order a paver, visit this link.