Do outdoor ice rinks make economic sense?
Obviously outdoor ice rinks are much cheaper to build and if one of the following is true:
1. The climate is such that no refrigeration is usually needed.
or
2. You use synthetic ice instead of water ice.
I also recognize that:
3. Some outdoor ice rinks can take advantage of spectacular local scenery or ideal location.
For example, during the winter there are are at least three reasonably popular outdoor ice rink in my vicinity,
A.
Inner Harbour Ice Rink, in Baltimore.
B.
Washington Harbour Ice Rink in Washington, DC.
C.
Sculpture Garden Ice Rink, in a fountain of the Smithsonian Sculpture Garden.
(The first two are waterfront property. I've been to neither, and can't tell you exactly how popular they are. The third is adjacent to an extremely popular museum, the Smithsonian. I've been at that rink. It is VERY popular. In all three cases, there are significant external attractors.)
But with these exceptions, it appears to me that:
4. You usually need bigger compressors, a beefier refrigeration system in general, and probably more electricity to maintain an outdoor ice rink.
5. The ice quality is usually poorer, and is much less predictable. That is relevant economically, because would-be renters and users care.
6. Based on the small outdoor rink that our facility added a few years ago, A LOT more time is required to do a reasonably competent job of maintaining them. My best guess, not backed up by definite facts, is that the extra cost of building a simple structure to contain the rink, and meeting indoor building codes, is easily made up for by a reduction in future electrical and maintenance costs. In addition, outdoor conditions are much harder on electronic equipment, such as music systems.
7. There are relatively few ice skaters willing to deal with the increased and somewhat unpredictable clothing requirements of skating in an outdoor rink. This is particularly true on unusually cold or windy days, and in times with rain, sleet, snow, and really, really true in hail. For safety, you must close during thunderstorms.
8. It is much harder to rent outdoor ice. Most of the time our 3 indoor surfaces are in use, though during the day on weekdays, that isn't always true, and during the day, usage is admitedly light. We get very little usage of our outdoor surface - though, to be fair, it is smaller than the indoor surfaces, which substantially reduces its usefulness for hockey, except for PeeWee hockey, and 3-on-3 hockey. (I do not count the other two surfaces - not our even small smaller hockey training center surface, because it isn't consistently maintained, nor the curling rink, because I never go there, and you aren't allowed to skate on it, so it is completely irrelevant.)
9. It is harder to keep non-paying customers off of outdoor ice when it is not in use. In other words, physical security is easier indoors.
So, I believe that, unless 1 (favorable climate), 2 (artificial ice) apply, or 3 (spectacular scenery or major external attractant) apply, it is a poor economic decision to create an outdoor ice rink.
Am I wrong?