Both photos courtesy of Google Map. You will notice the date of photo taken of the top picture was in 2011! But basically the same place. However, new roof though in the bottom picture. Gone is the green canopy. It is black now. However, the organization that runs the bingo has built an extension where the original doors were.
Notice the street name? Yup, that is right. The competing website that showed history of rinks did not check the map again for the proper location! Check that site to compare.
Notice the street name? Yup, that is right. The competing website that showed history of rinks did not check the map again for the proper location! Check that site to compare.
Broadacres Roller Rink, 133 Broadacres Drive, Colchester, VT
Boradacres Roller Rink was in Colchester, Vermont. This rink was in operations in the 1970s and 1980s and it did not last long thanks to extreme increased insurance cost which quite obviously closed the rink. It was quite common for many businesses closing in 1980s because of prohibitive insurance expenses.
It was so because roller skating is a risky activity and a business running a risky sports can face insurance costs to cover in case of a skater get injured on the property. Or God forbid, a fire or some disaster occur. Many rinks gets damaged by hurricanes and tornadoes in the American South and Midwest.
Well, back the day in 1980s, insurance really were getting out of control.
Anyway, Broadacres was opened on New Year's 1975 or around there according to The Burlington Free Press dated December 18, 1974 when it was set to open. A huge article about the rink. Back then, the owner researched quite thoroughly about doing business to open a rink. Must have an excellent business plan. He went to 40 other rinks around the country to research and ask owners how they do business and joined membership with the then RSROA, A predecessor to current RSAI.
He opened the rink with epoxy rink with the size of 80 feet by 170 feet. Slight smaller than a NHL rink in comparison but rather pretty large. The rest of the place was carpeted.
It was a gable roof building built for the rink in 1975. Unfortunately, the rink itself did not last very long because of the insurance. The original owners sold it in March 1975 because of the insurance, likely. The new owners tried to keep it up but it was on last fumes because of insurance. It collapsed and closed in December 1985.
The last day of roller skating rink was December 1, 1985 and then turned to a teen center but parents and skaters complained and wanted the rink so they reopened as both teen center and rink later that month of December. The center became two-in-one: a teen center and skating rink on Thursday December 26, 1985. But then it closed at the end of the year because of insurance. They could not get any cheaper. The quotas they got were 30 to 50 THOUSANDS Dollars annually. In 1984, it was merely 5,000 Dollars. This is just for liability. Not property insurance.
Today insurance are quite different and more complex. That is another subject another day.
The appearance they had was concrete floor with epoxy white coat. They had a green roof canopy by the front door.
Sadly after 1985, the owners turned it to Broadacres Bingo Center. They did consider that even according to the newspaper article (The Burlington Free Press, December 23, 1985). And they sure did open as a Bingo. That was the end of the rink there.
When I researched for the location of the current bingo center, both Map Google and Mapquest failed to actual locate. The address you will find for the Broadacres Bingo Center is at a residence. Perhaps the owners' address so I tried to find the actual address but no available. The error is found on Forgotten Roller Rinks of the Past had the wrong address and the wrong pin found on Map Google and Mapquest! It said 133 Broadlake Road. Wrong address! It is supposed to be 133 Broadacres Drive. That website owner needs to fix his mistakes and the map websites too.
The former rink is off of Route 127 in the same town, behind the Broadacres Creeme Stand. The mini golf outdoors is no longer operational either. The photos you will see are of the bingo center, not the rink.
Rink Size: 80' X 170' (13,600 SF) from open to Dec 1, 1985, 70' X 120' (8,400 SF)
Floor: White coated Epoxy Concrete Floor Layout: Standard for Figure Skating.
Building Size: 24,000 SF Built: September to December 1974 Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse Building.
Roof: Gable
Operated: January 1, 1975 to December 1, 1985 then teen center December 2, 1985 to December 25, 1985, then back as rink from December 26 to December 31, 1985.
Reason for Closure: Prohibitive liability insurance.
Wanted: Information regarding actual open date. Color photos of interior. And exterior!
Sources: FRRP, the Burlington Free Press (Wednesday December 18, 1974 and Monday December 23, 1985). Facebook (has no photos or information-just closed group without anything else on the site). Mapquest, Map Google, Broadacres Bingo website.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
Boradacres Roller Rink was in Colchester, Vermont. This rink was in operations in the 1970s and 1980s and it did not last long thanks to extreme increased insurance cost which quite obviously closed the rink. It was quite common for many businesses closing in 1980s because of prohibitive insurance expenses.
It was so because roller skating is a risky activity and a business running a risky sports can face insurance costs to cover in case of a skater get injured on the property. Or God forbid, a fire or some disaster occur. Many rinks gets damaged by hurricanes and tornadoes in the American South and Midwest.
Well, back the day in 1980s, insurance really were getting out of control.
Anyway, Broadacres was opened on New Year's 1975 or around there according to The Burlington Free Press dated December 18, 1974 when it was set to open. A huge article about the rink. Back then, the owner researched quite thoroughly about doing business to open a rink. Must have an excellent business plan. He went to 40 other rinks around the country to research and ask owners how they do business and joined membership with the then RSROA, A predecessor to current RSAI.
He opened the rink with epoxy rink with the size of 80 feet by 170 feet. Slight smaller than a NHL rink in comparison but rather pretty large. The rest of the place was carpeted.
It was a gable roof building built for the rink in 1975. Unfortunately, the rink itself did not last very long because of the insurance. The original owners sold it in March 1975 because of the insurance, likely. The new owners tried to keep it up but it was on last fumes because of insurance. It collapsed and closed in December 1985.
The last day of roller skating rink was December 1, 1985 and then turned to a teen center but parents and skaters complained and wanted the rink so they reopened as both teen center and rink later that month of December. The center became two-in-one: a teen center and skating rink on Thursday December 26, 1985. But then it closed at the end of the year because of insurance. They could not get any cheaper. The quotas they got were 30 to 50 THOUSANDS Dollars annually. In 1984, it was merely 5,000 Dollars. This is just for liability. Not property insurance.
Today insurance are quite different and more complex. That is another subject another day.
The appearance they had was concrete floor with epoxy white coat. They had a green roof canopy by the front door.
Sadly after 1985, the owners turned it to Broadacres Bingo Center. They did consider that even according to the newspaper article (The Burlington Free Press, December 23, 1985). And they sure did open as a Bingo. That was the end of the rink there.
When I researched for the location of the current bingo center, both Map Google and Mapquest failed to actual locate. The address you will find for the Broadacres Bingo Center is at a residence. Perhaps the owners' address so I tried to find the actual address but no available. The error is found on Forgotten Roller Rinks of the Past had the wrong address and the wrong pin found on Map Google and Mapquest! It said 133 Broadlake Road. Wrong address! It is supposed to be 133 Broadacres Drive. That website owner needs to fix his mistakes and the map websites too.
The former rink is off of Route 127 in the same town, behind the Broadacres Creeme Stand. The mini golf outdoors is no longer operational either. The photos you will see are of the bingo center, not the rink.
Rink Size: 80' X 170' (13,600 SF) from open to Dec 1, 1985, 70' X 120' (8,400 SF)
Floor: White coated Epoxy Concrete Floor Layout: Standard for Figure Skating.
Building Size: 24,000 SF Built: September to December 1974 Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse Building.
Roof: Gable
Operated: January 1, 1975 to December 1, 1985 then teen center December 2, 1985 to December 25, 1985, then back as rink from December 26 to December 31, 1985.
Reason for Closure: Prohibitive liability insurance.
Wanted: Information regarding actual open date. Color photos of interior. And exterior!
Sources: FRRP, the Burlington Free Press (Wednesday December 18, 1974 and Monday December 23, 1985). Facebook (has no photos or information-just closed group without anything else on the site). Mapquest, Map Google, Broadacres Bingo website.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.