WARWICK, RI – Local officials and residents gathered Dec. 3 to officially open the city’s new ice rink, located behind City Hall in Apponaug.
Mayor Frank Picozzi hosted the event at the newly-christened Greenwood Credit Union City Hall Plaza, named in honor of the $300,000 sponsorship paid by the local bank.
“This plaza is a project we’re incredibly proud of,” Picozzi said in a press release. “It’s a new centerpiece for our city—a place for families to gather, for events to be held, and for our community to come together throughout all seasons. We look forward to sharing it with the public soon, but first we’re excited to give our partners, supporters, and city team a first look.”
Warwick Police officers provided traffic control in the surrounding area, including the roundabout at Post Road and other nearby intersections.
The new rink cost about $7.2 million to complete, with $5 million from a grant secured by U.S. Sens. Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and the remainder drawn from the city’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Picozzi first announced his plans for the site in early January 2022, following the demolition of the City Hall Annex, which had been heavily damaged by a burst water pipe in 2018.
City hall offices were moved to nearby John Greene Elementary School on Draper Avenue until 2022, when the city relocated municipal offices to the new AAA headquarters at 65 Centerville Road, known locally as the “Sawtooth Building.”
Under terms of the 15-year lease signed by Picozzi, the building’s first floor now hosts the tax collectors office, tax assessors, and purchasing. Building and Zoning, Planning, Finance, Personnel, and Community Development are located on the second floor.
The new ice rink also represents a symbolic capstone to the numerous projects undertaken in the village over the last decade, with the most visible being the $71 million Apponaug Circulator Project, begun in 2014, that installed new roundabouts, removed the once-iconic water tower, and relocated part of Veteran’s Parkway.
Envisioned as a year-round event center, the new plaza will also feature roller skating, a splash pad, pickle ball, farmers markets, movie nights, dances, and concerts.
Timeline of Apponaug Improvements
August, 2014: Local, state, and federal officials gather for the formal groundbreaking of the Apponaug Circulator Project
May, 2015: Demolition of the Apponaug water tower
2015 – 2017: Circulator project continues
September, 2017: Opening of entire Circulator project to traffic
January, 2018: City Hall Annex closed due to flooding caused by ruptured pipe
May, 2018: Then-Mayor Scott Avedisian announces he will not run for reelection
November, 2020: Picozzi elected Mayor of Warwick
January, 2022: Picozzi announces plans for new City Hall Plaza, including the ice rink
October, 2022: City Hall offices move to AAA building
October, 2023: Greenwood Credit Union announces $300,000 sponsorship
April, 2024: Groundbreaking ceremony for City Hall Plaza
December, 2025: Official opening of plaza and ice rink
Author: Joe Hutnak - editorjoe.warwick@gmail.com
Co-Founder and Editor-at-Large of Warwick Post. For Warwick Post-related inquiries or communications, email editorjoe.warwick@gmail.com
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