Woodbridge Moves Ahead On Building 2nd Town Ice Rink

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Woodbridge is moving full steam ahead with their already-announced plans to install an ice hockey rink at The Club at Woodbridge, the town gym.

This coming Tuesday, Feb. 4 the Woodbridge town council will vote on a $3.5 million bond ordinance, which will begin the first phase of construction on the ice rink, according to a Twp. spokeswoman. They will likely approve the bond Tuesday night.

Once complete, this will be the second municipal ice rink in Woodbridge Township: The other one is right across the street at the Woodbridge Community Center, and is frequently rented out by local and travel ice hockey teams.

As Patch previously reported, Woodbridge took over ownership of The Club in October of 2018. Prior to that, it was privately owned and operated by a local family as a gym. Woodbridge purchased the facility and turned it into the town gym.

At the time, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac had said the town planned to tear up the facility's tennis courts and replace them with an ice hockey rink. There is tremendous interest and demand in the area from youth ice hockey teams, and they need a place to practice. Woodbridge Twp. can charge club teams to practice on the rink.

"(The) tennis courts there now are used very little," said Woodbridge spokesman John Hagerty back in 2018. "We make well over $1 million a year on the community ice hockey rink across the street, as many travel teams rent it out. Given the fact that ice hockey is becoming such a popular sport, we may put another one (at The Club)."

Youth sports continue to be a booming business: Woodbridge already installed a turf field for youth sports inside The Club at Woodbridge, as well.

The Woodbridge Recreation Fund will pay for the ice rink, McCormac told MyCentralJersey this week.

"The Recreation Utility Fund is funded by user fees and other monies secured from the Woodbridge Community Center, The Club at Woodbridge and other recreational activities," the mayor told the media outlet. "The Community Center and The Club are doing great and both are self-sufficient. We've had about 400 new members join each of the clubs since purchasing The Club on Oct. 1, 2018."

Related: Woodbridge Twp. Officially Takes Over The Club At Woodbridge