‘With heavy hearts:’ Popular longtime Carolinas’ skating rink to close, owner says
A popular Carolinas’ roller skating rink is closing Sunday after more than 40 years, its owner announced on Facebook .
March 5 is the final day for the Lowell location of Kate’s Skating Rinks, owner Billy Thompson said.
“Announcing the LAST ROLL,” Thompson posted on Facebook. “After 40+ incredible years at our Lowell Location, it is with heavy hearts that we announce its closing.”
Thompson is the grandson of the rink’s founders, John and Kate Grice.
Kate’s will “roll over” operations of the Lowell location, 4114 E. Franklin Blvd., to its Hudson rink at Union Road and Hudson Boulevard in Gastonia, Thompson posted.
“We have a new light show, new carpet and you’ll even see the same faces from Lowell there as well!” he wrote.
‘Forced’ COVID closure hurt, owner says
The family has faced many challenges over the years, “none more than the forced closure during COVID,” Thompson told The Charlotte Observer on Saturday.
“At that time, Kate’s (my company) was the main source of rental income for our family’s real estate company,” Thompson wrote in an email. “When we were closed down for 9 months, we had zero income and we did not qualify to receive any help from any government programs.”
That forced his real estate company, Thompson Realty, to more aggressively find a tenant for the 10 acres on Franklin Boulevard where the Lowell rink is located, he said.
“Now we are at that point, and the property is set to be developed over the next year,” he wrote.
Kate’s also has an Indian Trail rink at 14500 E. Independence Blvd.
Rink seen as safe, fun place for kids
On Facebook, Thompson thanked “all of the families that have visited us over the years and made Kate’s what it is today.”
His grandparents founded the business in 1961, according to a 2011 50th-year video interview with the couple that Thompson reposted on Facebook Sunday.
Kate Grice recounted in the video how she was walking around Rankin Lake one day with her husband and youth from their church.
“You know, these children need a place where they can get together, can be supervised and have fun,” she said she told her husband.
“And John said, ‘You know, a skating rink is what we need,’” Kate Grice said.
“That’s exactly it,” she said she replied. “We want parents to drop their children off and know that I would take care of them. They didn’t have to worry about them, that it was well supervised. It’s just been a great joy. All these years. So many happy memories. And all these skaters were our children.”
‘Heart broken about this’
On Facebook Sunday, Thompson predicted “a tough week.”
“And I will probably ghost most messages and posts, but I want to personally thank ALL of our past and present skaters and definitely our past and present FUN PATROL!” he said. “Kate’s has literally saved lives and helped shape the greater Gastonia’s youth for over 40 years.”
Residents shared memories of the rink on Facebook and reacted with sadness to the closing.
“So heart broken about this,” Mindy Byerly posted on the site. “Thank you to your family for bringing me the best childhood memories and time spent with my Granny.”
“This is sad to hear,” resident Gabrielle Cole said, “but we definitely have had some great memories!!! Job well done.”
This story was originally published March 4, 2023 at 5:12 PM.