Meet the new Hamill Rink plan, same as the old plan
- Guy
- Dec 29, 2025
- 2 min read
The story first leaked on December 18, 2025, in the Greenwich Democrat Town Committee newsletter here. The reconstituted Hamill Rink Task Force had come to a decision. The task force unanimously recommended a "modified flip" for the new rink. Wait — isn't this the same flip recommended by Selectman Camillo two years ago and the same flip that was rejected by the town legislative body (RTM) back in January 2025?
The newsletter was written with a fawning display of praise for the new Hamill Rink Task Force that was formed in March 2025 to replace the old committee which seemed unable to gain consensus for the flip plan. The newsletter read like this: "In a welcome display of collaboration and civic commitment, the Hamill Rink Task Force voted unanimously to recommend a modified flip for the new rink at Morlot Park."
The concept of the flip is to avoid the loss of ice time by building adjacent to the existing rink and then tearing down the old one afterward. The cost of this rink, which has been under study for over ten years, started at $4 million, increased to $16 million, then another increase to $22 million and has now reached $35 million as announced in the newsletter. However, once soft costs are factored in, the price tag is expected to exceed $40 million, according to Matt DesChamps, the Task Force Chair and Democrat member of the town's finance board (BET).
Despite the task force recommendation, there continues to be controversy over the flip decision. Many in Byram are still concerned about shoehorning a new modest-sized rink into the limited green space in Morlot Park within their increasingly dense residential neighborhood. Other residents still support the option to build a large rink complex on one of the parking lots near the central Greenwich train station and I-95 that would be more easily accessible to the entire town community. However, the rink committee rejected the idea of the parking lot locations due to uncertainty of disturbing possibly contaminated soil and the higher cost of the project.
The modified flip proposal is expected to go before the RTM on January 6, 2026.
Between the Lines: After a nine-month delay and a massive budget hike, we are back to square one — but don't worry, it was done with a great display of collaboration and civic commitment.