For a second time the opening of Excelsior's Ice Castle won’t happen as scheduled.
"We just need some cold weather so we can finish up some of our building structures that we’re doing,” said Tim Bauman, site manager of the castle.
On Friday, temperatures rose to the mid-40s and Saturday is looking similar.
The castle was originally scheduled to open in late December but staff delayed the opening to January 4, and now it's scheduled to open next Friday January 11.
The location of the ice castle in Minnesota has switched several times. It was in Eden Prairie, then Bloomington at the Mall of America, then Stillwater and now Excelsior.
Ice Castle spokesperson Amanda Roseth said they moved from Stillwater because of construction on the lift bridge and a nearby hotel. She said they prefer to build the castles within walking distance of restaurants and shops, like Excelsior’s historic downtown.
Roseth estimates the castle’s economic impact in the community to be between $2 million and $3 million. However, no one is making any money until it opens.
“We can maintain our castle fine, but the weather is preventing us from building it taller and making it thicker,” said Bauman.
January 11 would not be the latest an ice castle has opened for the company. Three years ago in Eden Prairie their castle didn’t open until late January.