Courtesy of Keith Allan. This was a PM Magazine that was aired nationally in syndication usually in late afternoon or immediately after network news. Usually at 4pm, 5pm, or 7pm. This rink had national exposure! Hmm, I did not see this episode. I must have missed this one. As Keith said in YouTube, the video quality (VHS) was terrible but fun to see it. He is right. I do not have the technology to make it digitally remastered like Lucasfilm did. Sorry it has no captioning and music are not mine. I do not know who is that reporter on the show.
Roller Palace (Plainville) Location --
Both above Courtesy of Hartford Courant. Top is exterior from another article they had. Above dated Sunday July 30, 1989.
Courtesy of Hartford Courant. Brief article about Richard Malucci, the owner of the rink. Photo cleaned up by Dead-Rinks.
Courtesy of Hartford Courant. Left to Right. Left: Tuesday April 9, 1991. Right: Friday April 19, 1991. The announcing of closure then in 10 days, article about fans wants rink to stay open. You can petition for a business to keep the rink operating (or any business) but the chance is like a million to one they would change minds. Name a rink that were spared by a petition? Name a business that was spared from closing as result of a petition? Name a clock tower? Oh that one is fake. Back to the Future. Haha. But seriously, it is very hard to do petitions. ONLY way you can spare is to buy them to save them. Just walk in with a brief case full of money or bonds or just a note on paper that you are going to purchase to save it. I think 3 rinks I have listed so far had a petition but all failed. You can start your own "Go Fund Me" to raise a million in 24 hours to purchase but unlikely you will get that amount. Group funding is not that successful either. I know you missed those rinks and stores like Sears, Kaufmann's, Sibley's, Dey's, and a shoe store, Payless (although they say they are back), Radio Shack (although they say they are back), Service Merchandise, Boa-Ski Snowmobiles, Victory Motorcycles, Rupp and Scorpion Snowmobiles.. Cobia and Owens Boats, Evinrude, Mariner, Johnston Outboards, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, GEO, EV-1, Mercury Automobiles,...on and on and on. I know how you all feel.
Courtesy of Hartford Courant. Saturday May 18, 1991. Photo cleaned up by Dead-Rinks.
Courtesy of Hartford Courant. Article cleaned up by Dead-Rinks. This is the sad part. All demolished after the fire.
Skating Palace Wallingford 1145 N Colony Rd, Wallingford, CT
Skating Palace East 467 Main Street, East Hartford, CT
Roller Palace Red Oak Plaza, 290 New Britain Ave., Plainville, CT
Skating Palace East 467 Main Street, East Hartford, CT
Roller Palace Red Oak Plaza, 290 New Britain Ave., Plainville, CT
Roller Palace was a rink at 290 New Britain Avenue in Plainville, Connecticut. This rink was very much beloved by skaters and patrons. It was owned by Richard & Beverly Maulucci. This rink had three locations. Actually was relocated each time but it seems to be awful on choosing sites. You see, they first had at one location and the owner of the building want a remodel, and next one similar till the final one, Wilmorite Developers want a mall built at this plaza. The Maulucci got tired of this and effectively ended the rink business.
First Roller Palace (Officially called Skating Palace Wallingford) was at Wallingford, Connecticut but closed that one in 1977 (one year!) because the owner of the building wanted to remodel the plaza. That sounds silly because a business can still be open and just remodel on the outside. I have seen rinks in plazas still operational when plaza owners remodeled. Both Empire Skates East and West did go through that. I am sure other rinks in malls/plazas did the same by staying open. That is silly to have it shut down.
Then the next they had was called Skating Palace East in East Hartford, Connecticut. Then they closed that one in 1984 (7 years) as they relocated to the final location, the 290 New Britain Ave, Plainville, CT. The Roller Palace had to close because of the building expansion which became a shopping mall. The final location, again, because it would become a mall.
But years later, Plainville Mall apparently was sold to another developer and it is now Connecticut Commons and guess what? It is a plaza again with several department stores there. The mall finally opened in 1999 but renovated in 2001 perhaps into a plaza. Apparently Wilmorite sold the mall in 1999. The mall itself was around late 1980s till 2001. The changes to plaza was to meet the demands that people prefer plazas compared to malls which are costly to operate, taxes, and magnets to trouble with mall rats, I mean people, not the rodents. And the decline of shopping due to internet and competition from free-standing department stores such as Walmart, Target, Dick's Sporting, Bass Pro, and Kohl's.
Now that mall is a plaza once again. All developers learned lessons not to have malls but stick with plazas. Malls are parallelized with roller rinks and bowling houses and perhaps mini-golf courses on course for decline.
I am surprised that Plainville Mall is not on the list at Dead Malls. Should Dead-Rinks have a sister site aimed for shopping malls? There are already at least 3 or 4 shopping mall history websites. Enough of that. Let them fill in more like Dead-Rinks is to roller rinks. Yes, Plainville Mall is a Dead Mall!
I really felt bad for the Mauluccis because they got tired of having to move it around. Owners, try to focus on owning a building or at least buy out an old shopping mall or old plaza and fix it up and you can make profit from other venues on your own property!
After they closed that year, it was sitting duck as a an abandoned building and it was boarded up however the rink burned down Tuesday March 22, 1994. Likely either kids broke into and started a fire intentionally or unintentionally. It could be swatters broke in and wanted heat and started a fire in there.
Well, it was a dangerous fire and please anyone who did this, please turn yourself into the Plainville Police Department and they can help you for your own safety. Arson is very dangerous and you could have hurt yourself or hurt one of those brave fire fighting heros. Please surrender. Thank you. Anyone know who did this, please do report to the same police department.
The plaza and immediate area had the Stadium Lanes Bowling Alley, the Plainville Stadium Race Track and the Red Oak Plaza once stood. The bowling alley, racetrack and half the plaza were demolished in 1990 to clear the 77-acre site for the 1.3 million-square-foot mall proposed by Wilmorite Inc. of Rochester, NY.
The Facebook group for Skating Palace is a private group and unable to read posts and see any more pictures to be added here at Dead-Rinks.
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
On first two, N/A. But the third one showed from a newspaper, very poor quality photo. I could not get anything But it did show huge sign in italic, ROLLER PALACE. It was well lit for patrons to come in evenings. This was part of the plaza and this means Flat roof with column support.
The Stats:
Roller Palace Wallingford (Wallingford):
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: White Coated Concrete. Floor Layout: Standard.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: Renovated, forcing rink (and maybe other businesses out)
Type of Building: Column Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Plaza Building.
Roof: Flat.
Acres: N/A.
Skating Palace East (East Hartford, CT):
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: Forced out as owner of building wanted to expand into mall.
Type of Building: Column Span Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Plaza Building.
Roof: Flat.
Acres: N/A.
Roller Palace (Plainville, CT):
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: Tuesday march 22, 1994 by fire, demolished within days ordered by fire marshal.
Type of Building: Column Span Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Plaza Building.
Roof: Flat.
Acres: 77 Acres (includes race track, bowling alley and other buildings on same property)
Operated: 1976 to 1991.
Roller Palace (Wallingford): 1976 to 1977
Skating Palace East (East Hartford, CT): 1977 to 1984
Roller Palace (Plainville, CT): 1984 to Friday May 17,1991.
Reason for Closure:
Skating Palace Wallingford (Wallingford): Owner wanted to renovate entire building forcing rink to move.
Skating Palace East (East Hartford, CT): Moved because of the building expansion into a mall by owner of property.
Roller Palace (Plainville, CT): Forced out due to plaza sold and new owners, Wilmorite, Inc. (owners of shopping malls from 60s to 90s).
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, w size of rink, rink materials. Also photos.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Hartford Courant - Rink closes if mall get approved; Hartford Courant - the fire destroyed the rink;
Hartford Courant - Neighbors; Hartford Courant - Closing; Hartford Courant - Fans wants rink still operational;
Hartford Courant - Fire Marshall ordered building demolished immediately; Facebook - Skating Palace;
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
First Roller Palace (Officially called Skating Palace Wallingford) was at Wallingford, Connecticut but closed that one in 1977 (one year!) because the owner of the building wanted to remodel the plaza. That sounds silly because a business can still be open and just remodel on the outside. I have seen rinks in plazas still operational when plaza owners remodeled. Both Empire Skates East and West did go through that. I am sure other rinks in malls/plazas did the same by staying open. That is silly to have it shut down.
Then the next they had was called Skating Palace East in East Hartford, Connecticut. Then they closed that one in 1984 (7 years) as they relocated to the final location, the 290 New Britain Ave, Plainville, CT. The Roller Palace had to close because of the building expansion which became a shopping mall. The final location, again, because it would become a mall.
But years later, Plainville Mall apparently was sold to another developer and it is now Connecticut Commons and guess what? It is a plaza again with several department stores there. The mall finally opened in 1999 but renovated in 2001 perhaps into a plaza. Apparently Wilmorite sold the mall in 1999. The mall itself was around late 1980s till 2001. The changes to plaza was to meet the demands that people prefer plazas compared to malls which are costly to operate, taxes, and magnets to trouble with mall rats, I mean people, not the rodents. And the decline of shopping due to internet and competition from free-standing department stores such as Walmart, Target, Dick's Sporting, Bass Pro, and Kohl's.
Now that mall is a plaza once again. All developers learned lessons not to have malls but stick with plazas. Malls are parallelized with roller rinks and bowling houses and perhaps mini-golf courses on course for decline.
I am surprised that Plainville Mall is not on the list at Dead Malls. Should Dead-Rinks have a sister site aimed for shopping malls? There are already at least 3 or 4 shopping mall history websites. Enough of that. Let them fill in more like Dead-Rinks is to roller rinks. Yes, Plainville Mall is a Dead Mall!
I really felt bad for the Mauluccis because they got tired of having to move it around. Owners, try to focus on owning a building or at least buy out an old shopping mall or old plaza and fix it up and you can make profit from other venues on your own property!
After they closed that year, it was sitting duck as a an abandoned building and it was boarded up however the rink burned down Tuesday March 22, 1994. Likely either kids broke into and started a fire intentionally or unintentionally. It could be swatters broke in and wanted heat and started a fire in there.
Well, it was a dangerous fire and please anyone who did this, please turn yourself into the Plainville Police Department and they can help you for your own safety. Arson is very dangerous and you could have hurt yourself or hurt one of those brave fire fighting heros. Please surrender. Thank you. Anyone know who did this, please do report to the same police department.
The plaza and immediate area had the Stadium Lanes Bowling Alley, the Plainville Stadium Race Track and the Red Oak Plaza once stood. The bowling alley, racetrack and half the plaza were demolished in 1990 to clear the 77-acre site for the 1.3 million-square-foot mall proposed by Wilmorite Inc. of Rochester, NY.
The Facebook group for Skating Palace is a private group and unable to read posts and see any more pictures to be added here at Dead-Rinks.
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
On first two, N/A. But the third one showed from a newspaper, very poor quality photo. I could not get anything But it did show huge sign in italic, ROLLER PALACE. It was well lit for patrons to come in evenings. This was part of the plaza and this means Flat roof with column support.
The Stats:
Roller Palace Wallingford (Wallingford):
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: White Coated Concrete. Floor Layout: Standard.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: Renovated, forcing rink (and maybe other businesses out)
Type of Building: Column Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Plaza Building.
Roof: Flat.
Acres: N/A.
Skating Palace East (East Hartford, CT):
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: Forced out as owner of building wanted to expand into mall.
Type of Building: Column Span Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Plaza Building.
Roof: Flat.
Acres: N/A.
Roller Palace (Plainville, CT):
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: N/A. Demolished: Tuesday march 22, 1994 by fire, demolished within days ordered by fire marshal.
Type of Building: Column Span Steel Truss Cinderblock-Walled Plaza Building.
Roof: Flat.
Acres: 77 Acres (includes race track, bowling alley and other buildings on same property)
Operated: 1976 to 1991.
Roller Palace (Wallingford): 1976 to 1977
Skating Palace East (East Hartford, CT): 1977 to 1984
Roller Palace (Plainville, CT): 1984 to Friday May 17,1991.
Reason for Closure:
Skating Palace Wallingford (Wallingford): Owner wanted to renovate entire building forcing rink to move.
Skating Palace East (East Hartford, CT): Moved because of the building expansion into a mall by owner of property.
Roller Palace (Plainville, CT): Forced out due to plaza sold and new owners, Wilmorite, Inc. (owners of shopping malls from 60s to 90s).
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, w size of rink, rink materials. Also photos.
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Hartford Courant - Rink closes if mall get approved; Hartford Courant - the fire destroyed the rink;
Hartford Courant - Neighbors; Hartford Courant - Closing; Hartford Courant - Fans wants rink still operational;
Hartford Courant - Fire Marshall ordered building demolished immediately; Facebook - Skating Palace;
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.