Public interest in ice skating has overwhelmed Cottage Grove's two indoor rinks to the point that they've been booked to capacity for years, forcing many residents to drive to St. Paul or as far as River Falls, Wis., for ice time.

"Ten o'clock on a school night for an hour-and-a-half practice in River Falls was not the way to go," said Myron Bailey, a City Council member and a former hockey parent.

For Cottage Grove residents tired of 45-minute drives -- one way -- to Wisconsin, there's hope. The city starts construction today on a $6.8 million expansion of the community ice arena that will include a second full sheet of ice and improvements to the existing building.

"A great day for Cottage Grove," said Bailey, observing that the city is joining a trend among other east-metro cities that have two full-size rinks.

But Cottage Grove already has a novelty that many other cities don't -- a smaller "studio rink" that attracts ice skaters from other nearby cities.

Completion of the new Cottage Grove rink by Oct. 1 will give the city two rinks built to National Hockey League standards plus the smaller rink. That means more ice time for competitions, community skating and classes. The Cottage Grove Ice Arena, which stands next to Park High School, already is popular for children as young as 2 who are learning to skate, said Zac Dockter, the city's parks and recreation manager.

The new rink will include spectator seating for 600, four general-use locker rooms and school varsity locker rooms for boys and girls, he said. Groundbreaking and the awarding of final bids Wednesday will move the expansion into the construction phase, Dockter said.

It's the city's intent to involve as many residents as possible in ice arena activities.

"This is a place where they come to get away from their day-to-day worries," said Dockter, who described the importance of making the arena a satisfying experience with many uses. "It's not just for a handful of hockey kids."

Kevin Giles • 651-298-1554