Union Building Trades members are fighting time and inconsistent weather to build an Ice Palace for this year?s St. Paul Winter Carnival ? the first walk-through palace in more than 50 years.

Warm weather in December delayed harvesting of ice by more than two weeks, meaning volunteers now expect to work around the clock if necessary to cut 5 acres of ice and finish the palace in time for the Carnival?s opening on Jan. 22.

The subzero blast at the beginning of January finally helped create ice that is thick enough to use. But the cold also created brutal working conditions.

Last week?s break gave workers a chance ?to go balls to the wall? before subzero cold returned again, said Bud Mohwinkel, a union Electrician from Local 110.

?The guys that are out here are working really hard and doing a great job, that?s for sure,? said Jim Brown, of the Lakes and Plains Regional Council of Carpenters. ?People are pitching in doing whatever is necessary.?

All-volunteer effort
Brown and other Building Trades officials have been organizing as many as 100 volunteers a day to harvest ice from Lake Phalen. Multiple shifts are running from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the lake, with additional volunteers staying through the night to keep a channel from freezing over. On one cold night, for example, 4 inches of new ice formed before dawn.

The extreme cold during the first few days of harvesting, combined with the learning curve and a smaller contingent of volunteers than expected, make for a rough start, Brown said. But the all-volunteer project gained momentum quickly and is harvesting 1,500 blocks of ice a day.

Additional crews ? fueled in part by Red Bull and the chance to be part of something rare ? are working into the wee hours at the actual palace site in downtown St. Paul, on Cleveland Circle across from the Xcel Energy Center.

?These guys are all volunteers,? said Doug Gale, president of the St. Paul Building and Construction Trades Council. ?They?re all busting their butts.?

Volunteers include apprentices, retirees, business agents, and workers currently on layoff. ?But some guys come over from their job at the end of the day and put in another shift,? Gale said.

Workers say the word is quickly spreading on job sites that not just Bricklayers, Laborers, Operating Engineers and Electricians are welcome to help build the palace.

First palace since 1992
The Ice Palace, and surrounding courtyard, are designed to use more than 27,000 blocks of ice, each one nearly 2 feet wide, 4 feet long and at least 12 inches thick. The palace and its courtyard will feature two entertainment stages, state-of-the-art computerized lighting, an ice skating rink, and other Winter Carnival amenities. It is expected to remain open through the National Hockey League All-Star Game Feb. 8.

Building Trades members and union contractors, led by Kraus-Anderson, are donating millions of dollars in time, equipment and materials to make the palace possible. It is the first palace built for the Winter Carnival since 1992, and the first walk-through palace since 1941. The palace itself will be about 240 feet wide and 75 feet high at its tallest turret.

Admission will be $5, or the ?passport? included with the purchase of a Winter Carnival button.

Union volunteers with construction training or experience working in an OSHA environment are welcome to help build the Winter Carnival Ice Palace, said Doug Gale, president of the St. Paul Building and Construction Trades Council. Volunteers simply can report to Lake Phalen anytime after 8 a.m. Volunteers are especially needed on weekdays.

See the palace being built
Watch it on a webcam at www.twincities.com

Palace construction and ice removal at Lake Phalen
Photos by Michael Kuchta, Union Advocate newspaper