All courtesy of Dailycommercial.com. All shown as renovation being done for Chrome Cowboy Cycles. Wow, the rink still beautiful after it was closed and empty for years till an antique shop then now, the cycle shop. Ahh, bottom pic showed some new Maple wood to be lay down. Nice bikes, CCC! Can I have that Eye Candy Green Bike, man!? Zoom zoom! Sorry I do not have any photos of original rink with or without skaters on. Hey CCC, can I skate there, please? Hee hee.
Don's Skateland, 1111 South 14th Street, Leesburg, FL
This beloved rink was built by Don's parents, Pat and Jean Baisden who built it in 1948 and operated. Then they leased the rink to John Meier in 1955 who ran it till 1989 when he closed the rink for good.
The exterior did not look much like a rink at all because of the appearance that looked like a super-sized house with second story windows above and the wall to wall front porch in commercial district of Leesburg, FL.
The interior was wall to wall rink with up front, the admission, skate rental, rest rooms, and snack bar. The rink itself was Maple hardwood bordered by all three walls with windows. It was a classic pre-Disco rink. In fact, there was an apartment upstairs which made sense with all the windows on second floor. It is 956 SF apartment. (I am sure now it is offices for Chrome Cowboy Cycles dealership).
The time period between 1989 and 2012, the history is unknown what became of it. Was it another rink? I doubt that because everyone from this town who had their birthdays at this rink would know it was Don's Skateland. In 2012, it fell into foreclosure and they sold it to an antique shop, Morning Glori which was operated until the building was auctioned off in January 2017 and sold to a motorcyclist who wanted to set up a customized motorcycle dealership and retail shop who opened it up in October 2017 and has been running since. Interesting to note that he said he wanted to preserve the skating rink as much as possible. He clearly had the floor polished as a rink! He also renovated the entire interior to update. Apparently there is a wall splitting in half of the entire rink according to one picture. Apparently offices and repair shop, maybe. By the way, beautiful bikes! From Skates to cycles.
Interesting the owner said in an article by Daily Commercial. He said that with all those kids who skated would be back in as motorcyclists and enjoy a different set of wheels. 40,000 cyclists living in 50 mile radius. Must be a lot of skaters became cyclists. Zoom zoom! This town is considered a bike town though. Must be all the kids who loved to skate and the freedom of movement went on to motorcycles. Not to worry about the rink, skaters. He set the motorcycles on carpet pieces to prevent from chapping the floor.
Is there a future for Don's Skateland? One or many hopes down the road.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple, Clear coated, epoxy coated Floor Layout: Log Cabin
Building Size: 9,356 SF, second floor Apartment: 956 SF.
Operated: 1948 to closed doors in 1989, Last report dated, October 11, 1991 for dissolution.
Reason for Closure: Unknown.
Wanted: Information regarding original photos of the rink itself interior! Got the exterior of present day but of past, that would be great. Size of rink, and reasons for closing for good.
Sources: Loopnet, Foreclosure.com, Inter Credit Report, Bizapedia, Daily Commercial
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved
This beloved rink was built by Don's parents, Pat and Jean Baisden who built it in 1948 and operated. Then they leased the rink to John Meier in 1955 who ran it till 1989 when he closed the rink for good.
The exterior did not look much like a rink at all because of the appearance that looked like a super-sized house with second story windows above and the wall to wall front porch in commercial district of Leesburg, FL.
The interior was wall to wall rink with up front, the admission, skate rental, rest rooms, and snack bar. The rink itself was Maple hardwood bordered by all three walls with windows. It was a classic pre-Disco rink. In fact, there was an apartment upstairs which made sense with all the windows on second floor. It is 956 SF apartment. (I am sure now it is offices for Chrome Cowboy Cycles dealership).
The time period between 1989 and 2012, the history is unknown what became of it. Was it another rink? I doubt that because everyone from this town who had their birthdays at this rink would know it was Don's Skateland. In 2012, it fell into foreclosure and they sold it to an antique shop, Morning Glori which was operated until the building was auctioned off in January 2017 and sold to a motorcyclist who wanted to set up a customized motorcycle dealership and retail shop who opened it up in October 2017 and has been running since. Interesting to note that he said he wanted to preserve the skating rink as much as possible. He clearly had the floor polished as a rink! He also renovated the entire interior to update. Apparently there is a wall splitting in half of the entire rink according to one picture. Apparently offices and repair shop, maybe. By the way, beautiful bikes! From Skates to cycles.
Interesting the owner said in an article by Daily Commercial. He said that with all those kids who skated would be back in as motorcyclists and enjoy a different set of wheels. 40,000 cyclists living in 50 mile radius. Must be a lot of skaters became cyclists. Zoom zoom! This town is considered a bike town though. Must be all the kids who loved to skate and the freedom of movement went on to motorcycles. Not to worry about the rink, skaters. He set the motorcycles on carpet pieces to prevent from chapping the floor.
Is there a future for Don's Skateland? One or many hopes down the road.
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple, Clear coated, epoxy coated Floor Layout: Log Cabin
Building Size: 9,356 SF, second floor Apartment: 956 SF.
Operated: 1948 to closed doors in 1989, Last report dated, October 11, 1991 for dissolution.
Reason for Closure: Unknown.
Wanted: Information regarding original photos of the rink itself interior! Got the exterior of present day but of past, that would be great. Size of rink, and reasons for closing for good.
Sources: Loopnet, Foreclosure.com, Inter Credit Report, Bizapedia, Daily Commercial
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved