“The Southwest Rink is a powerhouse when it comes to achieving our goal to leverage Skyline Park as a premier gathering place for our community,” said Tami Door, president and CEO of the Downtown Denver Partnership in a release Thursday.

That’s why the organization wants the city to spend $5 million of that sweet 2017 general obligation bond money on making the ice rink permanent, at least during the winter.

In the summer, DDP hopes to convert the area into a summer plaza that could host events like last year’s beer garden. The conceptual plan includes food and drink services, better sightlines and recreation options that could include a dog park and exercise facilities. 

So just how good was the ice rink at bringing people to Skyline Park anyway?

This latest season saw 56,736 skaters, breaking last year’s record of 56,172. All told, that’s nearly 325,000 skaters over the course of the last seven winters. A solid contribution to Denver’s most visited attraction and the 7.6 to 14 million people who visit it.