Record snowfall appears to be the culprit as a Grand Island landmark may have seen the last skate
Firefighters were called to Skate Island on North Webb Road overnight after the roof and a wall collapsed.
Owner Steve Anderson called it unbelievable, saying the business has been in the family 52 years. Anderson, a long time broadcaster and announcer was at a loss for words to describe the scene.
It’s one of the few roller rinks left in Nebraska. Anderson said the pandemic forced the business to close for months and said it’s been tough to recover from and now the structural failure could mean the end.
The west wall of the building is collapsing inward and roof is bowing under the snow. The iconic roller skate sign also appears to be leaning.
Firefighters said it was fortunate it happened during the night while there were no kids and families inside.
One employee said he went in briefly and heard the building creaking and left.
Anderson was in the process of assessing damage and deciding what to do next.
