Roller Tech 3115 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK. Panoramic view of formerly known as The Center (and Roller Tech) and of course former Sears, a chain "folded". Source: Google.
Roller Tech 3115 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK. Sears also closed there too. Photo taken in November 21, 2018. Source: Google.
Fairbanks Entertainment Center 3115 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK (Official name)
The Center 3115 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK (Popular nickname)
The Center of Entertainment 3115 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK (Nickname)
Roller Tech 3115 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK (official rink name)
The Center 3115 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK (Popular nickname)
The Center of Entertainment 3115 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK (Nickname)
Roller Tech 3115 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK (official rink name)
This entertainment center was called, The Center or to some, The Center of Entertainment was located at 3115 Airport Way in Fairbanks, Alaska. This place.. was a happening place that was very short lived in 1980s. They opened up at the wrong time. Also that affected the Roller Tech skating rink which was part of The Center.
The Center had many venues in the building including a movie theater, a diner, Roller Tech -- a roller skating rink, a bowling alley, an arcade, a live music venue and others. This project cost 20 Million USD in 1985. The people from Fairbank loved this new facility. It was the main indoor entertainment center that everyone in town wanted.
But...
Fairbanks couldn’t support it. There were questions about The Center's revenue questions less than a year in. Also there was the bottom fell out of the oil market which hurt the oil industry town. Downtown collapsed. And that, The Center was closed forever.
The Center's failure truly affected everyone in town because this facility was the main point of gathering of everyone from town. It is a city of everyone know everyone and knows everyone went there. Without it, really could not let a go of it anymore.
In fact, it did affected its own Roller Tech skating rink and the owners of this complex affected a bad purchase of Northern Lights Roller Rink. See that link for that rink's demise.
Here is what D.M. told me about The Center/Roller Tech's brief history--
May 1986 - The Center's Roller Tech operating
July 1987 - AREO Co which owns the Fairbanks Entertainment Center (The Center) filed bankruptcy
1988 - The Center still operating but at significant loss
Jan 1989 - Dennis Wise, one of four stockholders in AREO (Joe Hayes, Kris Lethin, Larry Carpenter), filed bankruptcy, raising question of closure of The Center by bank holding mortgage
And then Sears came. It was the main store for shoppers in Fairbanks. Seemly everyone knew you went there and bought something and they see that in their homes. Well, at least that is what I see from this author in Anchorage Daily News.
Now, without Sears since 2018, the residents go to the new franchise of COSTCO in town. Everyone calls that building, "Sears Building" but not as "The Center" Building. That is interesting because I think everyone wants to forget The Center because of what they did to the town in short time (my humble opinion!) Even killing off entertainment for the hard times town back in 1980s.. The owners even killed off their competitor for not paying for a deal they bought with Northern Lights Roller Rink.
The Interior.
It was a two story entertainment center that included a movie theater, a diner, a roller skating rink, a bowling alley, an arcade, a live music venue and others. Upstairs was a night club for age 21 up. However, often kids in the entertainment center on first floor often attempted to enter the night club which served alcoholic beverages. I am sure this questioned the validity of The Center and trust.
They even had a store that was selling deco marble, designer towels, and stuff like that that does not belong with the entertainment center. Someone commented saying it should have sold things that belonged to entertainment center such as mugs, t-shirts, shirts, jackets, skates, things like that as seen in the News-Miner (you would never get to read full article unless you subscribe but you can read the comments free!)
The Exterior.
Flat roofed Free-Span Steel Truss Bricks-Walled Department Store - like Building. I do not know what renovations they did on the exterior when Sears came in.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Copolymer Polypropylene (aka Roller Court) Floor Layout: Tiles.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1985. Demolished: Still standing, abandoned by Sears since November 27, 2018.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Bricks-Walled Department Store - like Building.
Roof: Flat.
Acres: N/A.
Lanes: N/A.
Type of Bowling: 10 Pins.
Operated: (Overall)-- 1985 to 1989.
Entertainment: 1985 to 1989.
SEARS: After 1989 to late 2010s.
Reason for Closure:
Entertainment: Oil Industry collapsed, town collapsed, affected the rink (people lost jobs, lost chance to go out because of no money).
SEARS: Fast Eddie closing the chain slowly.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
Anchorage Daily News - November 22, 2018, The Death of Retailer (talking about Sears which was in former entertainment center).
News-Miner - (you have to pay for subscription but you can read comments).
Email - D.M. (2021)
Email - "Beach Girl" (30 January 2022)
Date of issue: 15 February 2021. Updated: Mid-2021. Updated: 30 January 2022.
For Office Only: 2.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.
The Center had many venues in the building including a movie theater, a diner, Roller Tech -- a roller skating rink, a bowling alley, an arcade, a live music venue and others. This project cost 20 Million USD in 1985. The people from Fairbank loved this new facility. It was the main indoor entertainment center that everyone in town wanted.
But...
Fairbanks couldn’t support it. There were questions about The Center's revenue questions less than a year in. Also there was the bottom fell out of the oil market which hurt the oil industry town. Downtown collapsed. And that, The Center was closed forever.
The Center's failure truly affected everyone in town because this facility was the main point of gathering of everyone from town. It is a city of everyone know everyone and knows everyone went there. Without it, really could not let a go of it anymore.
In fact, it did affected its own Roller Tech skating rink and the owners of this complex affected a bad purchase of Northern Lights Roller Rink. See that link for that rink's demise.
Here is what D.M. told me about The Center/Roller Tech's brief history--
May 1986 - The Center's Roller Tech operating
July 1987 - AREO Co which owns the Fairbanks Entertainment Center (The Center) filed bankruptcy
1988 - The Center still operating but at significant loss
Jan 1989 - Dennis Wise, one of four stockholders in AREO (Joe Hayes, Kris Lethin, Larry Carpenter), filed bankruptcy, raising question of closure of The Center by bank holding mortgage
And then Sears came. It was the main store for shoppers in Fairbanks. Seemly everyone knew you went there and bought something and they see that in their homes. Well, at least that is what I see from this author in Anchorage Daily News.
Now, without Sears since 2018, the residents go to the new franchise of COSTCO in town. Everyone calls that building, "Sears Building" but not as "The Center" Building. That is interesting because I think everyone wants to forget The Center because of what they did to the town in short time (my humble opinion!) Even killing off entertainment for the hard times town back in 1980s.. The owners even killed off their competitor for not paying for a deal they bought with Northern Lights Roller Rink.
The Interior.
It was a two story entertainment center that included a movie theater, a diner, a roller skating rink, a bowling alley, an arcade, a live music venue and others. Upstairs was a night club for age 21 up. However, often kids in the entertainment center on first floor often attempted to enter the night club which served alcoholic beverages. I am sure this questioned the validity of The Center and trust.
They even had a store that was selling deco marble, designer towels, and stuff like that that does not belong with the entertainment center. Someone commented saying it should have sold things that belonged to entertainment center such as mugs, t-shirts, shirts, jackets, skates, things like that as seen in the News-Miner (you would never get to read full article unless you subscribe but you can read the comments free!)
The Exterior.
Flat roofed Free-Span Steel Truss Bricks-Walled Department Store - like Building. I do not know what renovations they did on the exterior when Sears came in.
The Stats:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Copolymer Polypropylene (aka Roller Court) Floor Layout: Tiles.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1985. Demolished: Still standing, abandoned by Sears since November 27, 2018.
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Truss Bricks-Walled Department Store - like Building.
Roof: Flat.
Acres: N/A.
Lanes: N/A.
Type of Bowling: 10 Pins.
Operated: (Overall)-- 1985 to 1989.
Entertainment: 1985 to 1989.
SEARS: After 1989 to late 2010s.
Reason for Closure:
Entertainment: Oil Industry collapsed, town collapsed, affected the rink (people lost jobs, lost chance to go out because of no money).
SEARS: Fast Eddie closing the chain slowly.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you.
Sources:
Anchorage Daily News - November 22, 2018, The Death of Retailer (talking about Sears which was in former entertainment center).
News-Miner - (you have to pay for subscription but you can read comments).
Email - D.M. (2021)
Email - "Beach Girl" (30 January 2022)
Date of issue: 15 February 2021. Updated: Mid-2021. Updated: 30 January 2022.
For Office Only: 2.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:16.