After another malfunction caused the downtown Redmond ice skating rink to end its season early, city officials are considering replacing it with a new and permanent multi-use facility.

The city-owned and Redmond Area Parks and Recreation District-managed rink had to be shut down early on Jan. 12. The Redmond city council at its Feb. 27 council meeting discussed the possibility of either repairing the current system or replacing it entirely.

Dusty Hood, the parks and facilities division manager for the city, said the current ice rink system is 15 years old and that initially cost $200,000. Last year, however city maintenance workers rebuilt the entire foundation and replaced several pieces of equipment to get the rink running for the winter. However, Hood said despite the fixes, the rink’s chiller broke.

Hood said city officials are in the beginning stages of deciding whether to repair or replace the rink. Hood told city council that his recommendation is to pull the plug on the annual repairs and instead invest in a new, permanent rink. Chuck Arnold, who oversees Redmond’s urban renewal program, said the cost of a new rink can range widely. A cheap replacement could be had for about $50,000, but a high-end, enclosed facility large enough to play hockey on could cost as much as $5 million.

Hood is worried about the annual repair bills, too.

“We could repair it and continue to repair it, and maybe it’ll last another ten years at not a high expense,” Hood said. “But then again, are we going to be able to run the system for the full winter? Or are we going to be down for most of the time like we were this year?”

Hood said the current rink needs constant attention from city maintenance crews and he estimates it would take roughly $13,000 to get it operational again. He said it costs between $75,000 to $100,000 in labor and parts just to install and tear down the rink each year. Replacing the chiller would cost up to $150,000 alone.

If they did choose to go with a new facility, it could be build in a permanent location with permanent infrastructure. But they could trade out flooring and equipment, meaning it could convert into a basketball court or open space during summer months.

Katie Hammer is executive director of the Redmond Area Parks and Recreation District, which operates the rink, skate rentals and concessions. She said the rink was well-used this year, despite the abbreviated season. She said there were 3,220 visits to the rink this winter, about the same as year prior.

While the rink did get a lot of visitors, it only made a profit of $235, data provided by the Redmond Area Parks and Recreation showed. The data showed that the rink brought in a total of $23,13 in revenue but cost $22,898 in expenses. Expenses, Hammer said, include staffing, and cleaning supplies. Last season it made nearly $2,000 in net profits,