Roll on: Shuttered Upstate skating rink may get new life

A roller skating rink in the Hudson Valley that has been closed during the pandemic may roll on with a new owner.

And that new owner could be the Town of Rochester in Ulster County, according to the Times-Union.

Stephen Apkon and Marcina Hale purchased the rink in 2019 — which had been called Skate Time 209 — but closed it during Covid and it has remained shuttered.

They are looking to sell and this month, the town board adopted a resolution to enter into contract for the property at just above $2 million, the report noted. The Town of Rochester is looking into creating a mixed-use public space with town hall offices, while keeping the skating rink intact.

The town doesn’t have unilateral authority to buy the building, at 5164 Route 209 in Accord. The planned purchase must be put to a vote by local residents; that is scheduled for Dec. 7.

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The town supervisor said a building condition survey found needed repairs and replacements for the facility would run up a cost to about $6 million, the Times-Union reported. The nearly 6-acre parcel has been appraised at approximately $2.1 million. The town would consider selling or renting existing office space to help generate revenue.

Some residents are concerned about the fate of the skating rink should the sale to the town go through. Others expressed optimism about consolidating town hall and a recreation space into one facility.

“It’s a win-win,” resident Hilton Purvis told the Times-Union. “You have the offices, and you have the skating rink still available for events and skating. That’s great.”

[Times-Union] — Holden Walter-Warner