Courtesy of Google Map. Untouched 2007 photo of the sign. Noticed it had a skate on it. Also the word, Buster's. That was the name of the rink in 2007. Nice job, Google!
Google Map. Noticed how terrible glare was in the old pictures? This is what was happening with that white glare streak on the left was showing. Can you see the skate sign on the right? Sorry its all blurry. Ah, good old days of film!
Courtesy of Google Map taken in 2007. Terrible photo taken in 2007, most were on angled! Totally off and dark because of the sunset. This is untouched photo.
Sparkles Riverdale 7335 Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA
Sparkles Roller Rink 7335 Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA
Sparkles Roller Rinks - Riverdale 7335 Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA
Sparkles Roller Rinks 7335 Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA
Buster's Fun Factory 7335 Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA (Final)
Sparkles Roller Rink 7335 Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA
Sparkles Roller Rinks - Riverdale 7335 Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA
Sparkles Roller Rinks 7335 Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA
Buster's Fun Factory 7335 Hwy 85, Riverdale, GA (Final)
Sparkles Riverdale, Sparkles Roller Rink, Sparkles Roller Rinks - Riverdale, Sparkles Roller Rinks were just a variation of names under the same Sparkles management but it was then it was leased to someone else and he opened Buster's Fun Factory.
No guys, Archie and his friends (Comic books) are not from this city. Sorry! Hahaha.
It was a good 30 years run for the rink despite the fact that stores in the immediate area dislike the skating rink because they wanted a business to run in the area the same time as themselves. Not evenings, not kids around, and not even cops. Wow. That really hurts. Now I believe there is no rinks in Riverdale at the moment. Nice going businesses in the area! It was owned by the Couey Family with the Sparkles name brand. For Buster's, it was run by Buster Cato who was manager under Sparkles until 3 years prior to the rink closing for good then he leased it and renamed as Buster's.
Only bad photographs was taken in 2007 by Google Map. It was sunset in the direction of the rink when the Google Mapper went by. It was terrible they did not do it during mid-day, not evening or sunrise. Well, now it is digital and it is much better. They learned lesson not to do that again. Too late now, Unless any of you have it, please email me. Thank you!
The property had a value of roughly 2 Million USD. Wow, that is a lot of money in 2000s. it would be over 3 Million by today. Bought for that expensive property and torn it down for a small 3,000 something square foot dealer? That is a size of a large house. Should have kept the building and retool it into dealership with repair bays in there.
The first Riverdale's Fall Festival was held at Buster's Fun Factory because the park was not available at the time and conflict I am sure. So, they held at the rink's parking lot and including skating rink as an activity to go skating. The 4th Annual of the same festival was held in 2007 and they realized the rink was closing for good and they honored Buster Cato and thanking him for the first one and for support.
Buster said there was a shooting a few years back but was there a shooting at this rink? I found out there was a shooting in the parking lot of ANOTHER rink but it dated in 2008. It did not say what city. Perhaps Riverdale. I found the street on Google Map but I see its a medical specialist offices there. But that address is 275, not 281. Google Map says it is. Conflicting!
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
Good thing Google put up their 2007 photographs of the rink. It was a very large Gable roofed Free Span Steel Truss Steel Walled Warehouse - like Building in Blue color. The new building.. oh wow! Very modern Googie with Arched canopy. I love this design really. Oh well, Sparkles and Buster's are gone.
One thing though, they already closed up when this was taken. perhaps by days because they closed in same month and when Buster's closed for good, Google Mapper drove by and took it because the name was gone on the building. It looked quite empty on a nice evening when that mapper drove by. The glare was bad so I could not get the front. It was sunsetting when that mapper drove by. I wish they would have a time machine to go back and take pictures better now that we have better digital. I believe that was film they took pictures in 2007 everywhere. Not sim card.
I could not see the front because of glare. I am sure you like that! I guess not.
They had a large 3D shape of a skate which looked to scale properly for a sign. It had name on it. Buster's was on that white skate near the corner. Real catchy. Again Google Map failed to clearly the photo.
Google improved greatly in 2010 only that it had a new building there. Old one demolished.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. (looks large) Built: 1977. Demolished: Early 2008. Now car dealership.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Truss Steel Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: 2.87 Acres. Corner lot.
Operated: c. 1977 to 3rd week of December 2007.
Sparkles - Riverdale: c. 1977 to c. 2004
Buster's Fun Center: 2004 to 3rd week of December 2007
Reason for Closure: Sparkles' owners wanted to sell but could not sell to any other rink owners, 5 years of attempt to sell the rink ended up having to sell to an used automobile dealership that did not last long either (other dealers came and went).
Wanted: Information regarding better photos both inside and outside, why sparkles leased to Buster Cato? Was it declining attendance a factor or cost?
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Yelp, Loop Net, Henry Herald on closing rink, Clayton New-Daily on Fall Festival and Buster's was first host by honoring him,
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.
No guys, Archie and his friends (Comic books) are not from this city. Sorry! Hahaha.
It was a good 30 years run for the rink despite the fact that stores in the immediate area dislike the skating rink because they wanted a business to run in the area the same time as themselves. Not evenings, not kids around, and not even cops. Wow. That really hurts. Now I believe there is no rinks in Riverdale at the moment. Nice going businesses in the area! It was owned by the Couey Family with the Sparkles name brand. For Buster's, it was run by Buster Cato who was manager under Sparkles until 3 years prior to the rink closing for good then he leased it and renamed as Buster's.
Only bad photographs was taken in 2007 by Google Map. It was sunset in the direction of the rink when the Google Mapper went by. It was terrible they did not do it during mid-day, not evening or sunrise. Well, now it is digital and it is much better. They learned lesson not to do that again. Too late now, Unless any of you have it, please email me. Thank you!
The property had a value of roughly 2 Million USD. Wow, that is a lot of money in 2000s. it would be over 3 Million by today. Bought for that expensive property and torn it down for a small 3,000 something square foot dealer? That is a size of a large house. Should have kept the building and retool it into dealership with repair bays in there.
The first Riverdale's Fall Festival was held at Buster's Fun Factory because the park was not available at the time and conflict I am sure. So, they held at the rink's parking lot and including skating rink as an activity to go skating. The 4th Annual of the same festival was held in 2007 and they realized the rink was closing for good and they honored Buster Cato and thanking him for the first one and for support.
Buster said there was a shooting a few years back but was there a shooting at this rink? I found out there was a shooting in the parking lot of ANOTHER rink but it dated in 2008. It did not say what city. Perhaps Riverdale. I found the street on Google Map but I see its a medical specialist offices there. But that address is 275, not 281. Google Map says it is. Conflicting!
The Interior.
N/A.
The Exterior.
Good thing Google put up their 2007 photographs of the rink. It was a very large Gable roofed Free Span Steel Truss Steel Walled Warehouse - like Building in Blue color. The new building.. oh wow! Very modern Googie with Arched canopy. I love this design really. Oh well, Sparkles and Buster's are gone.
One thing though, they already closed up when this was taken. perhaps by days because they closed in same month and when Buster's closed for good, Google Mapper drove by and took it because the name was gone on the building. It looked quite empty on a nice evening when that mapper drove by. The glare was bad so I could not get the front. It was sunsetting when that mapper drove by. I wish they would have a time machine to go back and take pictures better now that we have better digital. I believe that was film they took pictures in 2007 everywhere. Not sim card.
I could not see the front because of glare. I am sure you like that! I guess not.
They had a large 3D shape of a skate which looked to scale properly for a sign. It had name on it. Buster's was on that white skate near the corner. Real catchy. Again Google Map failed to clearly the photo.
Google improved greatly in 2010 only that it had a new building there. Old one demolished.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: N/A. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. (looks large) Built: 1977. Demolished: Early 2008. Now car dealership.
Type of Building: Free Span Steel Truss Steel Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: 2.87 Acres. Corner lot.
Operated: c. 1977 to 3rd week of December 2007.
Sparkles - Riverdale: c. 1977 to c. 2004
Buster's Fun Center: 2004 to 3rd week of December 2007
Reason for Closure: Sparkles' owners wanted to sell but could not sell to any other rink owners, 5 years of attempt to sell the rink ended up having to sell to an used automobile dealership that did not last long either (other dealers came and went).
Wanted: Information regarding better photos both inside and outside, why sparkles leased to Buster Cato? Was it declining attendance a factor or cost?
Anyone has pictures and/or information please let me know at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources: Yelp, Loop Net, Henry Herald on closing rink, Clayton New-Daily on Fall Festival and Buster's was first host by honoring him,
© 2019-2020 Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved.