Courtesy of SLC Tribune. 1950s photograph of a girl showing her figure as two children looking on.
Both courtesy of Google Map. Top, taken in 2011. It was then called Studio 600 in that trendy set of colors of its time (Spanish Revivalism) and the 2019 photo showed as Infinity Event Center in the Graying of America Post Modernism. Just a skin! Just the colors but same look as it was as Studio 600. New lofts apartments next door in the 2019 photo. That is the building if you look at Google Map top view, you will see the shape I am talking about.
Normandie Roller Rink East 600 South, Salt Lake City, UT
Normandie Roller Rink was at Salt Lake City in Utah. Norman D. Groendyke started this rink in 1950. The Normandic was actually taken from his own name Norman D. which translated into Normandic. Another cleverness with names. I found the address to be 600 South. It does not seem to be clear with the name. I checked and I got was East 600 Street in Salt Lake City. It was on 600 South between Main and State Streets. Which building was it? That location appeared to be entirely changed completely with modern buildings everywhere in that city. Or was that on the North side of the street in that plaza with very limited parking? Good question that needs to be answered.
They said the rink ran a very brief time. Perhaps just in 1950s. It was surrounded with automobile dealerships and perhaps the rink was opened in a former dealership but I am not sure because usually automobile dealership would have open space up front or the rear mechanic shop to allow automobiles drive through freely for showcase or for repairs respectively.
It has a very much of a marked history that this was the height of segregation period between different ethics. Norman wanted to allow the Blacks and other ethics to skate but he was pressured not to allow so he had a genius idea that a certain time they would be allowed to skate and it was at midnight for just one hour. Today, thanks to the Civil Rights, they now can skate among with Caucasians everywhere and I can see that on YouTube that there are a lot of Black people skating today as they have since 1970s. Some rinks were quite still pretty much Caucasians especially the ones I went in 1970s and 1980s.
What spooky when I saw on Google Map regarding the location, there is a certain building that DOES appeared a tiny bit of a religious symbol, Swastika as you can see from airplane/Drone/Satellite view. That was next door to the former rink. That Swastika like building was built more recent times! Not 1940s. Try the year 2016 when that building had construction!
The lease expired in early 1960s because the owners of the building wanted to use for automobile related parts store because of automobile dealerships in the area so the owners refused to let Norman renew the leases.
One time a robber came in trying to steal money from the admission booth by shooting in the booth just barely missed Norman's daughter and the daughter was tough and screamed scolding to the would-be robber and the screaming and shouting would never stop and the robber felt stuck so he left without the money. It worked!
The place was located right near a neighborhood with dirt road and poor children came to skate.
The Interior.
Not much to find out. I am only finding one photograph, a Black-and-White photo of a roller figure skater showing off her move while two youngesters looked on from the bench on the side of the rink. The photo showed the floor was Maple wood with a format called Log. Perfect location so I can tell what kind of floor!
Nothing much I can tell about this location.
The Exterior.
I have no idea what it was like long before it became of what today is. Rows of dealerships in that area are gone. Cross the street appeared to be a hotel. Very secretive looking.
Google Map only can go far back as 2007ish. So, It was Studio 600 at that location with very 2000s appearance with Sand color and sort of Red Terra Cotta trim around the upper walls. It has that huge arch on structure on front. It may have been redone completely on the outside than the 1950s look.
Several businesses come and went at the building and I mean by small storefront businesses. Then in 2015, entirely new complex. Infinity Event Center took over which is still operational since 2015. They made it very 2015ish modernism with that "stain-glass" appearance on the trim where Terra Cotta used to be while it is Black-Grey color on the building. It is the trend of graying of America.
They then added a burger restaurant on one end of the venue. They do have a food trailer which was an apparently an unmistakable winged Shasta Travel Trailer. Still that neighbor of theirs with the infamous Nazi symbol for a shape and the hotel cross street.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple Floor Layout: Log
Building Size: N/A Built: 1950 Demolished: N/A
Type of Building: N/A
Roof: N/A
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1950 to Early 1960s
Reason for Closure: Lease ran out in early 1960s because owners of building refused to let Norman renew. Rink was highly successful. (did not make any sense!)
Wanted: Information regarding
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: SLC Tribune, Obituary: Norman D. Groendyke,
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
They said the rink ran a very brief time. Perhaps just in 1950s. It was surrounded with automobile dealerships and perhaps the rink was opened in a former dealership but I am not sure because usually automobile dealership would have open space up front or the rear mechanic shop to allow automobiles drive through freely for showcase or for repairs respectively.
It has a very much of a marked history that this was the height of segregation period between different ethics. Norman wanted to allow the Blacks and other ethics to skate but he was pressured not to allow so he had a genius idea that a certain time they would be allowed to skate and it was at midnight for just one hour. Today, thanks to the Civil Rights, they now can skate among with Caucasians everywhere and I can see that on YouTube that there are a lot of Black people skating today as they have since 1970s. Some rinks were quite still pretty much Caucasians especially the ones I went in 1970s and 1980s.
What spooky when I saw on Google Map regarding the location, there is a certain building that DOES appeared a tiny bit of a religious symbol, Swastika as you can see from airplane/Drone/Satellite view. That was next door to the former rink. That Swastika like building was built more recent times! Not 1940s. Try the year 2016 when that building had construction!
The lease expired in early 1960s because the owners of the building wanted to use for automobile related parts store because of automobile dealerships in the area so the owners refused to let Norman renew the leases.
One time a robber came in trying to steal money from the admission booth by shooting in the booth just barely missed Norman's daughter and the daughter was tough and screamed scolding to the would-be robber and the screaming and shouting would never stop and the robber felt stuck so he left without the money. It worked!
The place was located right near a neighborhood with dirt road and poor children came to skate.
The Interior.
Not much to find out. I am only finding one photograph, a Black-and-White photo of a roller figure skater showing off her move while two youngesters looked on from the bench on the side of the rink. The photo showed the floor was Maple wood with a format called Log. Perfect location so I can tell what kind of floor!
Nothing much I can tell about this location.
The Exterior.
I have no idea what it was like long before it became of what today is. Rows of dealerships in that area are gone. Cross the street appeared to be a hotel. Very secretive looking.
Google Map only can go far back as 2007ish. So, It was Studio 600 at that location with very 2000s appearance with Sand color and sort of Red Terra Cotta trim around the upper walls. It has that huge arch on structure on front. It may have been redone completely on the outside than the 1950s look.
Several businesses come and went at the building and I mean by small storefront businesses. Then in 2015, entirely new complex. Infinity Event Center took over which is still operational since 2015. They made it very 2015ish modernism with that "stain-glass" appearance on the trim where Terra Cotta used to be while it is Black-Grey color on the building. It is the trend of graying of America.
They then added a burger restaurant on one end of the venue. They do have a food trailer which was an apparently an unmistakable winged Shasta Travel Trailer. Still that neighbor of theirs with the infamous Nazi symbol for a shape and the hotel cross street.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A Floor: Maple Floor Layout: Log
Building Size: N/A Built: 1950 Demolished: N/A
Type of Building: N/A
Roof: N/A
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1950 to Early 1960s
Reason for Closure: Lease ran out in early 1960s because owners of building refused to let Norman renew. Rink was highly successful. (did not make any sense!)
Wanted: Information regarding
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: SLC Tribune, Obituary: Norman D. Groendyke,
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.