Likely this Google map was taken in 2010s because of the new light sign above the door however, the fade of the name, Skatetown on the steel wall was faded (became "tetown")
Signs up during 2010s as you can notice the light box above the door was not in present before 2008 in Google Map. You can tell the sign on the wall with entire name, Skateland on it. Newer Google Maps do not have entire name anymore.
Google Map in August 2008, you will noticed the difference compared to the photos above those two that the lightbox was added above the door on canopy. And the logo on the steel wall was faded in 2010s.
All photos courtesy of Skatetown, USA. See the damages? There is a picture of women skaters, they are South Florida Roller Girls.
Skatetown USA, 4301 Orange Ave, Fort Pierce, Florida
This rather cute interesting 11,000 square foot rink in Fort Pierce, Skatetown USA was opened in 1977 by the Steele Family and they sold it to Harry & Jerri Stuart in 1993 after Harry Stuart was a manager in 1984 until the time he purchased it and managed it himself. The couple who are school teachers by day, ran the rink by evening and weekends.
Likely the Steele Family opened the rink in time for the Roller Disco Craze and sold it to the Stuart in 1993 by the time InLine Skates started to experience their downturn a little bit and the Stuart spend 300,000 Dollars to renovate the interior in 1998 to update their interior and other important needs.
The facility sported a 1970s look with the gable roof ware-house look aluminum sheet siding (vertical) with pretty stones veneer by the door and simple awing above it. It was very clean design and interesting look. I do enjoy that 70s look.
The interior was more interesting because of unusual design. They had lighted curved awings with names of each department including snack bar, skate rental, etc. It was sporting that 80s/90s look although the renovation was in 1998.
Many of their features were sporting at the time the theme color of teal. Not green, teal. It was popular from 1984 to 2000 on many products, interior design, and merchandise. This is the main reason for the interesting concept of this design they renovated.
The snack bar was the only place that had a half wall rail protecting from skaters although the carpet was FRONT of the half wall between the wall and the rink itself. The rink itself is a sunken floor just inches from the grey carpeted floor. They had checkered floor in the snack bar and a wall section next to the skate rental that shows very 1980s feel. It was still freshing in 1998 even all the way till its demise in 2017. The only spot with the half wall rail was the snack bar eating area which making the facility feels larger. It sure did, I am sure, for many skaters. Feel roomy. They had an area that looks rustic look which may be a theme of entirely different than the rest of the facility. This is why it is quite interesting rink.
This is one of the rinks I would definitely have gone to.
The horrors of Hurricanes of 2017 that attacked in the Hurricane alley including Florida, the Gulf, and the Caribbean and the Bahamas was quite damaging. It was Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 that pounded in the region caused damages to the rink. Their insurance company refused to offer repairs. Did they have flood insurance? If that is the case, the insurance company... should have paid for the floor damages. The hurricane damaged it on September 10, 2017. Seeing pictures is truly horrible to see the damages that I am even start to cry a river. Their insurance company needs to pay and go out of business. That company needs to close for good and all. That hurricane nailed the rink to close.
Actually the first hurricane that caused damages was in 2005 and their insurance company refused to pay for it. During 2008, the Great Recession and their bank refused to help modify their loan and the owners had to raise capital themselves to pay for repairs. Second time around in 2017.. that was it. They were about to close in June but September 2017, it was done.
The more they delay, the more it hurts the rink business and they had to turn off the phone service, and sell things slowly to pay bills.
Maybe RSAI needs to have what I call it, Rink flood insurance program for all rink owners so it can be automatically recover and repairs quickly. Should do that. And RSAI needs to research how to cover the rink from flooding. Kind of like a pool tarp. Maybe remove some wood on the edge and put tarp on and sandbag all around high as a person! so that floods cannot steep over the tarp and the rink. This practice is common to the oldest rink in State of Washington and they always recover because of sandbags. Maybe Florida, Texas, and other flood states can do this. Skaters can volunteer to sandbag quickly when a hurricane comes.
If you are an investor or a donor, please contact the owners of Skateland USA and donate money, and/or maple wood and any other repairs. They are on Facebook.
Maybe switch to concrete? Pour concrete and use rollercourt on the floor. Far cheaper. Not fancy but for the hurricane prone state, might have to do that.
UPDATE: Website is recently closed. They were almost going to close in 2017 but a fund raising of almost 25,000 US Dollars were donated to help the rink pay the rent for the building. They survived until the next hurricane hit them in 2018 and that was the nail in the coffin that closed the rink for good.
Rink Size: (11,000 SF) Floor: Originally Maple, damaged by Hurricane Floor Layout: Fan
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse Building
Roof: Gable
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1977 to September 10, 2017
Reason for Closure: Hurricane Irma flood damage, insurance company refused to pay.
Wanted: None.
Sources: Facebook, WPTV, and FRRP. Also Yelp, Fort-Pierce.net, WPTV (2),
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
This rather cute interesting 11,000 square foot rink in Fort Pierce, Skatetown USA was opened in 1977 by the Steele Family and they sold it to Harry & Jerri Stuart in 1993 after Harry Stuart was a manager in 1984 until the time he purchased it and managed it himself. The couple who are school teachers by day, ran the rink by evening and weekends.
Likely the Steele Family opened the rink in time for the Roller Disco Craze and sold it to the Stuart in 1993 by the time InLine Skates started to experience their downturn a little bit and the Stuart spend 300,000 Dollars to renovate the interior in 1998 to update their interior and other important needs.
The facility sported a 1970s look with the gable roof ware-house look aluminum sheet siding (vertical) with pretty stones veneer by the door and simple awing above it. It was very clean design and interesting look. I do enjoy that 70s look.
The interior was more interesting because of unusual design. They had lighted curved awings with names of each department including snack bar, skate rental, etc. It was sporting that 80s/90s look although the renovation was in 1998.
Many of their features were sporting at the time the theme color of teal. Not green, teal. It was popular from 1984 to 2000 on many products, interior design, and merchandise. This is the main reason for the interesting concept of this design they renovated.
The snack bar was the only place that had a half wall rail protecting from skaters although the carpet was FRONT of the half wall between the wall and the rink itself. The rink itself is a sunken floor just inches from the grey carpeted floor. They had checkered floor in the snack bar and a wall section next to the skate rental that shows very 1980s feel. It was still freshing in 1998 even all the way till its demise in 2017. The only spot with the half wall rail was the snack bar eating area which making the facility feels larger. It sure did, I am sure, for many skaters. Feel roomy. They had an area that looks rustic look which may be a theme of entirely different than the rest of the facility. This is why it is quite interesting rink.
This is one of the rinks I would definitely have gone to.
The horrors of Hurricanes of 2017 that attacked in the Hurricane alley including Florida, the Gulf, and the Caribbean and the Bahamas was quite damaging. It was Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 that pounded in the region caused damages to the rink. Their insurance company refused to offer repairs. Did they have flood insurance? If that is the case, the insurance company... should have paid for the floor damages. The hurricane damaged it on September 10, 2017. Seeing pictures is truly horrible to see the damages that I am even start to cry a river. Their insurance company needs to pay and go out of business. That company needs to close for good and all. That hurricane nailed the rink to close.
Actually the first hurricane that caused damages was in 2005 and their insurance company refused to pay for it. During 2008, the Great Recession and their bank refused to help modify their loan and the owners had to raise capital themselves to pay for repairs. Second time around in 2017.. that was it. They were about to close in June but September 2017, it was done.
The more they delay, the more it hurts the rink business and they had to turn off the phone service, and sell things slowly to pay bills.
Maybe RSAI needs to have what I call it, Rink flood insurance program for all rink owners so it can be automatically recover and repairs quickly. Should do that. And RSAI needs to research how to cover the rink from flooding. Kind of like a pool tarp. Maybe remove some wood on the edge and put tarp on and sandbag all around high as a person! so that floods cannot steep over the tarp and the rink. This practice is common to the oldest rink in State of Washington and they always recover because of sandbags. Maybe Florida, Texas, and other flood states can do this. Skaters can volunteer to sandbag quickly when a hurricane comes.
If you are an investor or a donor, please contact the owners of Skateland USA and donate money, and/or maple wood and any other repairs. They are on Facebook.
Maybe switch to concrete? Pour concrete and use rollercourt on the floor. Far cheaper. Not fancy but for the hurricane prone state, might have to do that.
UPDATE: Website is recently closed. They were almost going to close in 2017 but a fund raising of almost 25,000 US Dollars were donated to help the rink pay the rent for the building. They survived until the next hurricane hit them in 2018 and that was the nail in the coffin that closed the rink for good.
Rink Size: (11,000 SF) Floor: Originally Maple, damaged by Hurricane Floor Layout: Fan
Building Size: N/A Built: N/A
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Warehouse Building
Roof: Gable
Acres: N/A
Operated: 1977 to September 10, 2017
Reason for Closure: Hurricane Irma flood damage, insurance company refused to pay.
Wanted: None.
Sources: Facebook, WPTV, and FRRP. Also Yelp, Fort-Pierce.net, WPTV (2),
© 2019 - 2020 Dead Rinks. All Rights Reserved.