Google Map. In more recent times. Ah.. beautiful day that day. OK, this apparently was a newer building that the former Torrington Creamery owned. And part of their expansion because to the right of that photo above is the original building.
Google Map. Noticed this older factory building and I am sure the brick part was one of the originals. They expanded through the years. I love that brick part. Too bad I did not know and it was too late and I wanted to buy it. And convert into a NYC-style loft. Haha, no, Not in CT. High taxes! This was once housed the Torrington Creamery which also owned the building that the rink owned. the Creamery closed and is being applied for Historical status.
Courtesy of Connecticut Mills. Showed history of the facility and businesses. Including where the rink was.
Courtesy of Hartford Courant. Friday June 7, 1996. This explained their plans. The budget originally at 500,000 USD but later it did ballooned to over 900,000 USD. Almost twice. Always think twice the amount will be twice as much!
Courtesy of Hartford Courant Friday October 17, 1997. Still planning, still ongoing project took longer than thought.
Courtesy of THE REGISTER CITIZEN. This was a sad news for the locals especially children that the rink close down.
Riverside Roller Park 668 Riverside Avenue, Torrington, CT
This is another Riverside Roller Park that was opened pretty much same year as the ones on the Harnette Family farm location Riverside Roller Park.
This had a short history too. And it was the insurance that killed the rink. Very common since 1980s. This is why no rinks around anymore. Because insurance companies says it is classified as "High Risk" kind of business. We really need to regulate insurance companies. Not Obamacare. Obamacare is worse and making insurance goes up for individuals way too high. They need to be totally regulated by the government and set lower price range. AND limit or eliminate lawsuits.
This having said, I feel bad for Joseph Harnett who is the main operator. The others were Monsueto M. Paganni Sr. and Rick DallaValle.
It was in 1996 that the two men who were managers at a local Cumberland store together and noticed so many kids hanged out outside of the convenience store and they did a survey and a skating rink is popular choice. And the Mayor in town even get letters that children wanted a roller rink. See, insurance companies!!?? LOWER the price!
The project they were going to open by fall of 1996 was delayed to 1997 then 1998 but had to close in April 2003 due to insurance. It was connected to the 9/11 horrors that day that caused insurance to rise because finally terrorism reached in the United States.
In December 2002, Joseph Harrett received a heartbreaking letter that his rink will be dropped from insurance coverage because they saw it is high risk as many rinks were experiencing at the time. He was already paying 20,000 USD for the year cycle 2002. That was already doubled. And another increase of 20 to 30 percent for 2003. So, he made his decsion to close the rink.
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
Former Torrington creamery (and other names all related to dairy), partial offices and processing plant. Part of it is Red Bric, part of it is Light Tan Steel sheet metal siding on the walls, and even the location of a certain part of the building was like 2 feet from the road! (See photo). The look appeared to be very 1970s, maybe 1960s.
It has bit of oddity of design. Hard to describe but a photo helps.
The Stats:
Rink Size: 63' X 92'. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: 11,000 SF. Built: N/A. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: c. March 1998 to c. April 28, 2003.
Reason for Closure: Prohibitive ever increasing insurance premiums.
Wanted: Information regarding actual exact dates of open/closed, rink materials. Also photos.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Hartford Courant newspapers including Friday June 7, 1996, Friday October 17, 1997;
Connecticut Mills - the Torrington Creamery Factory that included the building housed Riverside Roller Park;
The Register Citizen - March 19, 2003.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
This had a short history too. And it was the insurance that killed the rink. Very common since 1980s. This is why no rinks around anymore. Because insurance companies says it is classified as "High Risk" kind of business. We really need to regulate insurance companies. Not Obamacare. Obamacare is worse and making insurance goes up for individuals way too high. They need to be totally regulated by the government and set lower price range. AND limit or eliminate lawsuits.
This having said, I feel bad for Joseph Harnett who is the main operator. The others were Monsueto M. Paganni Sr. and Rick DallaValle.
It was in 1996 that the two men who were managers at a local Cumberland store together and noticed so many kids hanged out outside of the convenience store and they did a survey and a skating rink is popular choice. And the Mayor in town even get letters that children wanted a roller rink. See, insurance companies!!?? LOWER the price!
The project they were going to open by fall of 1996 was delayed to 1997 then 1998 but had to close in April 2003 due to insurance. It was connected to the 9/11 horrors that day that caused insurance to rise because finally terrorism reached in the United States.
In December 2002, Joseph Harrett received a heartbreaking letter that his rink will be dropped from insurance coverage because they saw it is high risk as many rinks were experiencing at the time. He was already paying 20,000 USD for the year cycle 2002. That was already doubled. And another increase of 20 to 30 percent for 2003. So, he made his decsion to close the rink.
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
Former Torrington creamery (and other names all related to dairy), partial offices and processing plant. Part of it is Red Bric, part of it is Light Tan Steel sheet metal siding on the walls, and even the location of a certain part of the building was like 2 feet from the road! (See photo). The look appeared to be very 1970s, maybe 1960s.
It has bit of oddity of design. Hard to describe but a photo helps.
The Stats:
Rink Size: 63' X 92'. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: 11,000 SF. Built: N/A. Demolished: Still standing.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Steel-Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: N/A.
Operated: c. March 1998 to c. April 28, 2003.
Reason for Closure: Prohibitive ever increasing insurance premiums.
Wanted: Information regarding actual exact dates of open/closed, rink materials. Also photos.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Hartford Courant newspapers including Friday June 7, 1996, Friday October 17, 1997;
Connecticut Mills - the Torrington Creamery Factory that included the building housed Riverside Roller Park;
The Register Citizen - March 19, 2003.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.