Middle 4 pictures above credit: Johnson Street Skating Center/Arena Facebook fan page.
Credit: Zillow
Hollywood Skating Arena, 2144 Johnson Street, Hollywood, FL
Hollywood Skating Center, 2144 Johnson Street, Hollywood, FL
Johnson Street Skating Center, 2144 Johnson Street, Hollywood, FL
Hollywood Skating Center was in business for a few decades in a beautiful South Florida suburb of Fort Lauderdale. This rink was built and opened on Tuesday February 9, 1954. It had a very long history and high turnover of ownership of the rink itself. It had six separate group of ownerships. They kept putting up for sale often and sold within a year to next person. I am not sure if the name was the same throughout the years because of closure and changing hands of ownership/operaorship. Likely it was also once called Johnson Street Skating Rink according to its Facebook fan page.
The motivation for turn over was not clearly known and because it had six groups of owners. One group at a time, not at once. Was it money? We do not know but the rink itself had a lot of experience of history it endured from 1955 to mid-1980s when it was closed for good.
The exterior was a gable roofed with some flats up front as an extension of the rink. Did they expand through the time? We do not know. But can tell it was a nice looking facility when it was in operational.
The color was in darker color at the time but the picture was not clear and not verify that is the rink itself with a man and a child in the picture on the Facebook fan page. However, the final outing, it was all white seashell grain sand color with hint of blue trims and roof.
The original front was quite different than the Google Map photo I can see however likely the front is where the garage doors are presently attached today.
The interior was not very clear either because so many 1980s and even 1970s photographs with children and people in it. Also it had 1950s and 1960s photographs as well but not a whole lot. Only the postcard was shown as truly clear photograph of the rink itself. It did not show the rink very well in the postcard though because it did look like it was warped in the picture. It was the way the lighting reflexed off the floor. it was very clean low hung cathedral ceiling with white ceiling panels. It had rows of tube light bulbs to shine on the rink. It hardly had any disco lights at all as it was opened in mid-1950s until likely in 1970s added disco lights. Hence more colorful stuff on the wall and all as seen in the pictures on Facebook fan page.
The rink had some bumps while it was in business during 1980s. There was a gang fight broke out and the entire place was involved with a fight of 300 or even 400 skaters. The police was unable to arrest anyone who started.. because of the vviolence, the owner had to hire an off-duty police officer and hire more.
I am sure it was colorful with the renovations at the time. Perhaps several remodeling occurred.
The final run for the skate was in 1986 according to intercreditreport.com.
The rink finally dissolved in mid-1980s but it was a conflicing report. One report says it was November 14, 1986 as a Skate and dancing center called Hollywood Skate Dance according to the same site.
The rink was already converted sometime after 1986 according to Zillow that it was converted to six separated offices. Five bathrooms and two kitchens. And has garage doors. The blue awings are there for main offices doors.
It has 26 parking slots. One you can see clearly a big boat sitting there instead of the water where its always warm all year in Broward County! Take the boat out to the water, silly!
Here is a break down time-line to clear the confusion of high turnover of ownerships:
1954 - Dot & Herb Collins who started as Hollywood Skating Arena. [1}
1959 - Rink for sale [2] Selling cost: 50,000 USD
1959 - Mason family. May have changed name to Hollywood Skating Center.
1970's - Barker family
1970's - Skeeter Stang family
1970's - Barile family[3]
1981 - Rink for sale[4] Selling cost: 800,00 USD Likely both building and business-two separate assets. Likely Hollywood Skating Center closes for good.
October 28, 1981 - Laurel Jelstrom[5] Likely this is when it becomes Johnson Street Skating Center.
1984 - Rink for sale[6] 250,000 USD A big loss of value of property! Likely because of downturn of skating so it was just the building itself would be that valuable.
2/11/1984 - huge 300 to 400 teens and adults in rival gangs fought at the rink. Closed 2 hours early due to fight. Law enforcement increased patrol at rink.
11/21/1984 - Hollywood Skate Dancing Corporation was formed to be a skate night club with alcohol served.
1985 - "Rink to possibly become a nightclub"[7] That would be the Hollywood Skate Dancing Corporation owned proposed but the the company had to fold in 11/14/1986 but had annual report done by 5/28/1985.
Since it became a small business office building, 17 companies were housed in that building.
8/29/2016 Listed for sale $1,750,000!
2/1/2017 Listing removed $1,750,000 (according to Zillow)
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple Wood Floor Layout: Fan?
Building Size: 16,100 SF Built: 1953 - 1954
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Cinderblock Building
Roof: Gable
Acres: 0.97 acres (42,230 SF)
Operated:
Hollywood Skating Center: Tuesday February 9, 1954 to Mid-1980s (?)
Johnson Street Skating Center: 1981? to 1986?
Reason for Closure: Each owners- Information N/A. Sold to last owner, name changed. For Johnson Street Skating Center, the owners folded in 1986. Crime may also contribute to downfall.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open, closures, reasons for closing. Also clear photos of interior and exterior when it was open for business as the rink itself.
Sources: FRRP, Zillow, Loopnet, bizapedia.com, bizapedia.com, Facebook fan page (as Johnson Street Skating Center), intercreditreport.com, (for time-line): (1) Ft. Lauderdale Daily News Feb. 6, 1954, (2) Ft. Lauderdale Daily News July 5, 1959, (3) Ft. Lauderdale Daily News July 2, 1978, (4) Ft. Lauderdale Daily News Dec. 13, 1981, (5) South Florida Sun Sentinel Feb. 17, 1984, (6)South Florida Sun Sentinel Sept. 7, 1984, (7 )Ft. Lauderdale Daily News May 22, 1985, (8) The Palm Beach Post Jan 8, 1979.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
Hollywood Skating Center, 2144 Johnson Street, Hollywood, FL
Johnson Street Skating Center, 2144 Johnson Street, Hollywood, FL
Hollywood Skating Center was in business for a few decades in a beautiful South Florida suburb of Fort Lauderdale. This rink was built and opened on Tuesday February 9, 1954. It had a very long history and high turnover of ownership of the rink itself. It had six separate group of ownerships. They kept putting up for sale often and sold within a year to next person. I am not sure if the name was the same throughout the years because of closure and changing hands of ownership/operaorship. Likely it was also once called Johnson Street Skating Rink according to its Facebook fan page.
The motivation for turn over was not clearly known and because it had six groups of owners. One group at a time, not at once. Was it money? We do not know but the rink itself had a lot of experience of history it endured from 1955 to mid-1980s when it was closed for good.
The exterior was a gable roofed with some flats up front as an extension of the rink. Did they expand through the time? We do not know. But can tell it was a nice looking facility when it was in operational.
The color was in darker color at the time but the picture was not clear and not verify that is the rink itself with a man and a child in the picture on the Facebook fan page. However, the final outing, it was all white seashell grain sand color with hint of blue trims and roof.
The original front was quite different than the Google Map photo I can see however likely the front is where the garage doors are presently attached today.
The interior was not very clear either because so many 1980s and even 1970s photographs with children and people in it. Also it had 1950s and 1960s photographs as well but not a whole lot. Only the postcard was shown as truly clear photograph of the rink itself. It did not show the rink very well in the postcard though because it did look like it was warped in the picture. It was the way the lighting reflexed off the floor. it was very clean low hung cathedral ceiling with white ceiling panels. It had rows of tube light bulbs to shine on the rink. It hardly had any disco lights at all as it was opened in mid-1950s until likely in 1970s added disco lights. Hence more colorful stuff on the wall and all as seen in the pictures on Facebook fan page.
The rink had some bumps while it was in business during 1980s. There was a gang fight broke out and the entire place was involved with a fight of 300 or even 400 skaters. The police was unable to arrest anyone who started.. because of the vviolence, the owner had to hire an off-duty police officer and hire more.
I am sure it was colorful with the renovations at the time. Perhaps several remodeling occurred.
The final run for the skate was in 1986 according to intercreditreport.com.
The rink finally dissolved in mid-1980s but it was a conflicing report. One report says it was November 14, 1986 as a Skate and dancing center called Hollywood Skate Dance according to the same site.
The rink was already converted sometime after 1986 according to Zillow that it was converted to six separated offices. Five bathrooms and two kitchens. And has garage doors. The blue awings are there for main offices doors.
It has 26 parking slots. One you can see clearly a big boat sitting there instead of the water where its always warm all year in Broward County! Take the boat out to the water, silly!
Here is a break down time-line to clear the confusion of high turnover of ownerships:
1954 - Dot & Herb Collins who started as Hollywood Skating Arena. [1}
1959 - Rink for sale [2] Selling cost: 50,000 USD
1959 - Mason family. May have changed name to Hollywood Skating Center.
1970's - Barker family
1970's - Skeeter Stang family
1970's - Barile family[3]
1981 - Rink for sale[4] Selling cost: 800,00 USD Likely both building and business-two separate assets. Likely Hollywood Skating Center closes for good.
October 28, 1981 - Laurel Jelstrom[5] Likely this is when it becomes Johnson Street Skating Center.
1984 - Rink for sale[6] 250,000 USD A big loss of value of property! Likely because of downturn of skating so it was just the building itself would be that valuable.
2/11/1984 - huge 300 to 400 teens and adults in rival gangs fought at the rink. Closed 2 hours early due to fight. Law enforcement increased patrol at rink.
11/21/1984 - Hollywood Skate Dancing Corporation was formed to be a skate night club with alcohol served.
1985 - "Rink to possibly become a nightclub"[7] That would be the Hollywood Skate Dancing Corporation owned proposed but the the company had to fold in 11/14/1986 but had annual report done by 5/28/1985.
Since it became a small business office building, 17 companies were housed in that building.
8/29/2016 Listed for sale $1,750,000!
2/1/2017 Listing removed $1,750,000 (according to Zillow)
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple Wood Floor Layout: Fan?
Building Size: 16,100 SF Built: 1953 - 1954
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Cinderblock Building
Roof: Gable
Acres: 0.97 acres (42,230 SF)
Operated:
Hollywood Skating Center: Tuesday February 9, 1954 to Mid-1980s (?)
Johnson Street Skating Center: 1981? to 1986?
Reason for Closure: Each owners- Information N/A. Sold to last owner, name changed. For Johnson Street Skating Center, the owners folded in 1986. Crime may also contribute to downfall.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open, closures, reasons for closing. Also clear photos of interior and exterior when it was open for business as the rink itself.
Sources: FRRP, Zillow, Loopnet, bizapedia.com, bizapedia.com, Facebook fan page (as Johnson Street Skating Center), intercreditreport.com, (for time-line): (1) Ft. Lauderdale Daily News Feb. 6, 1954, (2) Ft. Lauderdale Daily News July 5, 1959, (3) Ft. Lauderdale Daily News July 2, 1978, (4) Ft. Lauderdale Daily News Dec. 13, 1981, (5) South Florida Sun Sentinel Feb. 17, 1984, (6)South Florida Sun Sentinel Sept. 7, 1984, (7 )Ft. Lauderdale Daily News May 22, 1985, (8) The Palm Beach Post Jan 8, 1979.
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.