Ice Skating At Tampa Premium Outlets Starts Later This Week

LUTZ, FL — People who are eager for Florida Hospital Center Ice to open the doors on its 150,500-square-foot skating facility in January can at least get a taste of what’s to come during the holidays. Center Ice has announced its plans to play host to a synthetic rink at Tampa Premium Outlets starting later this week.

Public skating at the outlet mall is set to open on Saturday, Dec. 17. Florida Hospital Center Ice worked in partnership with Tampa Premium Outlets to sponsor the 20-foot-by-40-foot synthetic rink that is set to go up in the mall’s Lagoon Court.

The rink will be open for skaters from noon to 3 p.m. and from 5 to 8 p.m. on the following dates:

• Dec. 17-18
• Dec. 21-23

Officials say there is a possibility that pubic skating will also be made available during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The Tampa Premium Outlets website will have updates available.

Skating sessions are 30 minutes long. Skate rental is set at $6. Folks who need socks will pay $2 and skating walkers are available for $1.

“Tampa Premium Outlets is excited to welcome Florida Hospital Center Ice to the Wesley Chapel community,” said Sarah Rasheid, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Tampa Premium Outlets “In celebration of their grand opening next month, we invite families and friends to enjoy skating and shopping this holiday season.”

Gordie Zimmermann, Florida Hospital Center Ice’s managing partner, said the temporary rink will give people a great chance to experience the fun of skating before his facility makes its debut.

“This is an opportunity to get a head start on getting a feel of what skating is like,” he said.

Zimmermann’s facility will be noticeably different than a synthetic rink when it opens. It will have four ice rinks and a mini-rink available with real ice surfaces. One of those rinks will be Olympic sized with two others meeting North American standards. The facility intends to offer a number of programs for area residents in addition to hosting hockey tournaments, university and high school teams, and developmental programs.

The rink’s official opening date has not been set. It will be located at 3173 Cypress Ridge Road in Wesley Chapel. Tampa Premium Outlets is located at 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz.

For more information about Florida Hospital Center Ice, visit its website.

Image by Senne Berk via Flickr used under Creative Commons