-Raleigh, N.C. (October 6, 2010) – After the successful inaugural year attracted nearly 20,000 ice skaters to downtown Raleigh’s City Plaza, Mayor Charles Meeker and the Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA) today announced a deal with Polar Ice House, which operates year-round ice skating facilities in Cary, Garner and Wake Forest, to keep Raleigh ice skating outdoors for at least another three years.

A new, larger (45 x 90 feet) outdoor ice rink will anchor AT&T Raleigh Winterfest, a two-month holiday entertainment extravaganza that will open December 4, 2010 with the Mayor’s tree lighting, a special visit from Santa, performances from local choirs, bands and dance companies, local crafters and artisans, in addition to Victorian carolers and carriage rides. The headlining concert performance will be announced at a later date. AT&T Raleigh Winterfest will conclude January 30, 2011, after the city hosts crowds for the NHL All-Star Game which will be played at the nearby RBC Center.

“We are thrilled AT&T Raleigh Winterfest was so well-received and will continue to attract residents and visitors from across the Triangle to downtown Raleigh,” said Mayor Meeker. “The opportunity to ice skate under the beautiful Raleigh skyline is a special holiday experience that adds to our vibrant downtown.”

“Downtown Raleigh offers the best in city living and entertainment as we continue to introduce more people to what we have to offer,” said David Diaz, president and CEO of DRA. “AT&T Raleigh Winterfest brings to life all the wonder of the holiday season to share with friends and family.”

In addition to thanking the title sponsor AT&T and the operating sponsor Polar Ice House, the DRA also thanked WTVD and Curtis Media, the media sponsors of Winterfest. The following organizations were acknowledged for their support:BB&T, Pepsi, Wal-Mart, Hyde Street Holdings, Charter Square, The Simpson Organization, Poyner Spruill, Kimley-Horn and Sheraton Raleigh Hotel.

Ice rink admission will be $8 (including skate rental) during regular hours. The rink will be open six days a week and closed on Mondays for private parties, which are open for booking now.

“The AT&T Raleigh Winterfest ice rink was one of the most popular outdoor rinks in the country,” said Randy Lee, Polar Ice House General Manager. “We are excited to work with the city, DRA and great sponsors like AT&T to make this an annual holiday tradition.”

For more information on hours of operation, directions and scheduled events, visit www.RaleighWinterfest.com.

About the Downtown Raleigh Alliance

The Alliance is the official nonprofit organization designated to manage and promote downtown as a regional center of commerce, tourism, and livability. Through its dedicated Board of Directors and professional staff, the Alliance team provides a comprehensive array of programs designed to build on the strengths of the downtown business district. The programs are categorized into five main areas: Clean & Safe Ambassadors, Marketing & Events, Economic Development, City Plaza Management, and Advocacy. The Alliance was created in 1996 by a coalition of community advocates, corporate leaders, and government officials. Our website is www.YouRhere.com.

About the Polar Ice House

Polar Ice House is operated by Polar Ice Ventures, with locations in Garner, Cary, and Wake Forest. It offers a wide variety of ice entertainment including: public skating sessions, birthday parties, track out camps, and learn-to-skate programs. Each location is equipped with the latest in hockey and skating equipment. For more information, please visit www.polaricehouse.com.

-ASEC enters long-term agreement with Simon Property Group, Inc.
-ASEC to open Ice at The Galleria October 8, 2010

Elmsford, NY – American Skating Entertainment Centers, LLC (“ASEC”) the largest independent owner/operator of ice skating facilities in the United States, announced that it has acquired the ice skating rink at The Galleria in Houston, TX.  ASEC plans to open the Ice at The Galleria this Friday, October 8th after making significant renovations and improvements to the facility.
The Ice at the Galleria will have a new and improved ice skating surface to provide skaters with premium quality ice in time for the busy holiday season.  Off-ice, we are installing new dasher boards and purchasing 600 pairs of state-of-the –art rental skates for our customers.  Additionally, in the coming months all of the off-ice areas will be completely renovated including a new sound and video system and an upgraded party room to host special events.
“We are excited to add such an iconic ice rink at one of the premiere retail destinations in the world to our growing portfolio of leading facilities” said Shane Coppola, Chairman and CEO of ASEC.  “Further, we are delighted to expand upon our business relationship with Simon Property Group and work closely with our partners at The Galleria to upgrade the physical plant, develop new programming, and create additional recreation opportunities.”

Commenting on the new partnership, David Anderson, General Manager of The Galleria, said “we are thrilled to enter a long term lease with one of the most respected owner/operators in the ice rink industry.  ASEC and The Galleria are making a substantial investment in the Ice at The Galleria to enhance the ice skating experience for all of our Galleria customers for many years to come.” 
“The Ice at The Galleria will be an incredible family entertainment venue at The Galleria.  Our goal is to continue providing Houston residents with the best recreational products and services available,” said Brad Berman, ASEC’s President and Chief Operating Officer.  “We are quite familiar with The Galleria facility and look forward to developing all aspects of the business,” added Berman.

About American Skating Entertainment Centers, LLC.

American Skating Entertainment Centers, LLC. (“ASEC”) is the largest independent owner/operator of ice skating rinks in the United States.  ASEC owns and/or operates 12 facilities in New York, Maryland, North Carolina, Texas, Colorado, and California.

About Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest real estate company in the U.S. The Company currently owns or has an interest in 393 retail real estate properties comprising 263 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. Simon Property Group is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. The Company's common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG. For further information, visit the Simon Property Group website at www.simon.com.

 

PHOENIX, AZ–

Installation will begin next week at the newly opened CityScape project in downtown Phoenix on a special holiday treat for Phoenix citizens:  a frozen ice skating rink, open to the public.  The rink, sponsored by NRG Thermal – the energy company which operates the city’s cooperative underground downtown air conditioning and cooling system – will open on Saturday, November 27 and operate through January 15, 2011  from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. every evening Monday through Friday, and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.  The rink has special holiday hours opening from 3p.m to 11:00 p.m. every day December 18 until  January 1, 2011.
The rink, located on the western block of the project, between Central and First Avenue in Patriots Square, will include real ice – the kind usually found only in refrigerator freezers in Phoenix.  Local residents will have the opportunity to rent skates or bring their own and glide across the surface of a (size) rink, set up for holiday celebration, adjacent to a new municipal Christmas Tree dedicated to the citizens of Phoenix.
“We want this to be an annual tradition,” said Mike Ebert, of RED Development, operator of CityScape.  “Our goal is to make CityScape not only the geographic center of downtown Phoenix, but the heartbeat of activity in downtown, as well.  It’s a place for the community to gather and we felt like an ice skating rink at the holidays is really a fun thing to share with people.”  

The ice rink will be supplied and operated by American Skating Entertainment Centers, the largest independent operator of ice rink facilities in the United States – including Seasonal outdoor rinks in Los Angeles, Raleigh, N.C., Denver and Washington D.C.

Brad Berman, ASEC President, “The NRG CityScape ice rink will offer skaters the unique experience of skating while overlooking the new municipal Christmas tree. The rink will be built on the elevated portion of the plaza, at 36 feet wide and 60 feet long, over 100 people can skate at a time while enjoying holiday music and decorations”.  
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said he was thrilled to see the public space at CityScape being put to use so quickly and in such a creative manner.
“The goal for this project was to breathe life into the center of downtown and to revitalize a public space that had been neglected and forgotten,” Mayor Gordon said.  “There is no better time for the community to come together than at the holidays and there is no finer tradition for holiday celebration than a Christmas Tree and an ice skating rink.  I don’t know how they do it, but I am very excited to see it.”
“As for skating on it – I’ll leave that to my son Jake.”
NRG Thermal, the new owner and operator of the Northwind cooling project in downtown Phoenix and a tenant at CityScape, answered the call when the developer asked for sponsors of the rink.
“We think this will be a really fun way for people to enjoy the holidays in a way unique to Phoenix, and if they get to know who we are along the way, so much the better” said Jim Lodge of NRG Thermal.  “We’re part of the downtown community and we just want to do our little piece to help.  We’re all about cooling, and nothing says that better than ice. “ 

About CityScape
CityScape is a two-block, mixed use urban project located at the very center of Downtown Phoenix.  The combination of commercial, retail, residential and hotel development is the focal point for urban living and community activity in a revitalized downtown Phoenix, nestled between the city’s entertainment, education, business and government institutions.  Bordered on three sides by the city’s new light rail transit system, the project’s neighbors include the US Airways Center, Chase Field, the Phoenix Convention Center, Arizona State University’s 15,000-student downtown Phoenix campus, the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, City Hall and the Maricopa County administrative and court complex.  www.cityscapephoenix.com