Developers trade backhoes for skate blades for Sunnyvale ice rink

Two years after it opened in downtown Sunnyvale, Redwood Square is undergoing an environmental makeover for the holidays.

The developers behind CityLine Sunnyvale are hosting a winter ice rink on the square beginning in November. The normally green space will sport the 60-by-40-foot rink for two months.

“The rink is a symbol of our commitment to civic engagement and to the type of downtown public events that we hope to host in our future Redwood Square Park,” said Travis Duncan, project manager for CityLine Sunnyvale, in a statement.

Besides lapping the rink, visitors can avail themselves of curling lessons, skate with Sharks mascot SJ Sharkie or take part in other special events during the rink’s run, proceeds from which will benefit Sunnyvale Community Services.

The holiday season arguably has special significance to CityLine’s partners, who celebrated the start of construction on the former site of the Sunnyvale Town Center in December 2016. Since then, CityLine has completed construction of The Flats, 75 apartments and 19 townhomes along West Iowa Avenue between Mathilda and Sunnyvale avenues. A 12-screen AMC movie theater and a Whole Foods Market at the corner of Murphy and McKinley avenues are nearing completion.

CityLine is being developed by STC Venture, a joint venture between Hunter Storm, Sares Regis Group of Northern California and J.P. Morgan Asset Management.

Funding the ice rink is also a group effort. In addition to CityLine Sunnyvale, sponsors include Google, the City of Sunnyvale, Eventbrite, iHeartRadio and NBC Bay Area.

The Winter Ice Rink will be open Nov. 22-Jan. 20 at Redwood Square, 250 S. Murphy Ave. Hours are 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. during school holidays and 1-9:30 p.m. when school is in session. Tickets are $13-$18 and include skate rental. They can be purchased at the rink ticket window at Murphy and McKinley avenues, or in advance at http://www.citylinesunnyvale.com/IceRink.

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