Remember the Roller Rink in Antigo?
Remember how much fun you had there?
Do you want your children and grandchildren to have those memories too?
Well!! Here’s your chance!
We need the community involvement to insure there is the support we need to start up a roller rink/laser tag/family fun center in the town of Antigo. We already have the support of the Boys and Girls Club, the local middle school and many business owners. Now we need your input as a parent, grandparent or community member.
The center will be a family oriented, safe and secure place that will not allow smoking, drinking, or rowdy behavior. We will be open at convenient hours with room for birthday parties at a reasonable rate and special events and hours that will serve all age groups.
If you would like to get involved in showing your support please post your comments on this blog. Proposed opening date Spring 2008.
We will gladly answer any questions to the best of our ability about your concerns about this project.
Lets get excited about this ANTIGO NEEDS THIS!!!
Thank you for your support and hope to see you at the rink in the future.
Angie and Kathy
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Tags: future rollerskating rink in antigo, recreation antigo wi, roller rink antigo wi
Quick Questions on this.
Have to deterimed the prices you will be charging? With the economy down right now and the small population of Antigo this is a risky venture. Not to be negative but it seems like you might be better off taking the money and buidling in a larger town like Wausau.
Also make sure you have checked into Liabilty insurance on this. I know of someone who ran one of these in another town, but had to close partially due to the rising cost of insurance due to injury’s on the rink.
Having said all that I am all for something new and exciting for the area. Anyone willing to spend money to offer better entertainment options gets a A+ in my book. Combine the theater, Khan’s for the older kids, with the Indoor Mini Golf opening at Mojo’s and then add this downtown and you can start to call downtown a Entertainment District.
Everything sounds great…can’t wait for all of the exciting addition to this town! It would definitely be cool to eventually have a bigger theater here instead of having to go to Rhinelander or Wausau to watch a good movie.
yes we thought about building in a bigger town, but we realized that antigo needed something like this there isnt really much family entertainment in town and we really wanted to do something for antigo. yes antigo is a small town but with alot of research and we did plenty we know that antigo and the surrounding towns can support this adventure. As for the prices we realize that money is short so we are going to keep our prices as reasonable as we can. For example, a all day pass(6hrs) to play laser tag, roller skate, aracade etc….would be $15, you spend more than that going to the bar for 6hrs, or a movie that last only 2hrs. We havent decided yet on prices for single play of laser tag or only there to roller skate. I hope that answers you question Mr. Buisness if you have any more we would be more than happy to answer them.
Great idea as long as it doesn’t turn into a Cons….
Kudos to Mojo’s for the indoor mini golf….great idea!!!!!!!
$15. is less than I expected! I think it will be quite a success and THANK YOU for not listening to Mr Business and taking it to Wausau. Maybe the new roller rink will give others in our town some spark to invest here. You ladies are terrific!
the one Wausau is already closed (after many years of being open). That would be my only concern about the new one making it in Antigo. If it can’t survive in an area with 75,000 people, how will it survive in an area with 15,000?
The negative side of the Spinning Wheels Rink was, in the spring the moisture from the creek would come throu the floor, and made every it very dangerus to skate. The older kids would do tricks and made it hard for the young or new learners to skate (which made them not come back).
The GOOD side was, it was only $3.50 for 4 hours to skate or play videos games, eat popcorn, hot dogs, soda, and be with your friends and make new friends. And when I didn’t have any money Keith White would let me skake for Free (I lived at the rink every day it was opened for about 4 years).
I sure miss that roller rink!!
I am not sure if you are refering to the skating rink in schofield, but the reason they closed was the owner was reaching retirement age and was offered a LOT of money for the land so that the convenience store could be built on that corner. It did no close for lack of business.
there are many rinks in small towns under 10,000 people just in wisc that are thriving. we have researched this and visited many so we are well aware of the pitfalls, but believe that we will be offering enough different venues to the area that we will be sucessful
in addition to the
skating, laser tag and arcade area, we will offer meeting rooms at reasonable rates to familys for gatherings such as reunions, wedding receptions, we also will be talking to the schools about a lockin on prom night with dancing, skating and lasertag.
we will have birthday packages featuring laser tag, roller skating or both at reasonable rates, with private party rooms for theme parties.,
I hope you can see the benefit this will have for the community and the extensive research and though that we have put into this project,
Good, I’m glad you did your research. I actually knew Leo and talked to him around the time he closed down. I knew business was down a bit, but I forgot the real reason he shut down.
Good luck to you and I sincerely hope it works.
Well, I am very excited to hear about this facility. I think it will make an excellent addition to our town. It will give people more options locally when planning parties and family outings. Great work Kathy and Angie…it’s good to know that there are people that still want to see this town grow!! Any idea on when it will be up an running? Sorry I may have missed that in the previous discussions.
Kathy and Angie, as a newcomer to this site, let me offer up my encouragement for your project. If you build it, I and my kids will come. My kids will be teens soon and I like healthy opportunities for them. Thanks for caring about them and other teens in our community!
Parents: In the meantime until the roller rink is up & running, how about sending your teen (15-19) to the new Steko Youth Group at the Boys & Girls Club from 6-10 on Monday nights? They can join their peers to play pool, foosball or Wii, listen to music or even dance? My kids go there and have a great time with kids their own age and adult chaperones…another way to keep them off of the streets when there’s nothing else to do.
Sadly, the Steko youth group only gathers during the school year and is over for the summer months now but check with the Boys & Girls Club on a few summer events that Steko has coming up.
to all our supporters,
we have been in negotiations with the country market owner and I think we can reach an agreement that will satisfy both of us.
we also are considering subleasing part of the building ( it is 27,884 sq ft)
to a local business what would compliment ours. so at this point, having exhaused our cash resourses, we are inviting anyone who wants to be a part of this exciting project a chance to invest. this would be a loan, paid back in equal monthy installments, we are not looking for a handout ( course if you win the lottery remember us) The sum we need is not great by investment standards, but more than we have, (we tried the banks they do not want to take a chance on a new business)
These funds will be matched dollar for dollar from another source.
So if you want to be a part of this or you know someone who would be interested you can give me a call @ 715-610-1368 or email me at azkatie60@yahoo.com
thanks for sticking by us I know this has been a lengthy process. but we are still hanging on
Angie and Kathy
sorry the banks r giving u trouble, too bad they don’t see the benefit of something like this in our town. maybe u could ask the city for a loan since they financed 26,000 for the new playground. or u could have a fundraiser. its sad that this town is so closed mined, have u tried a bank from the surrounding area?
tinker, we have thought about a fund raiser, or a promotion or early sales of yearly admission at a reduced cost, but were not sure if the communtiy would think that without a building we were jumping the gun, your thougths on that would be appreciated.
Thought about raffles for prizes like roller skates or inline skates, free birthday partys or free lasertag parties something like that.
If people don’t have any objections to this type of fund raiser we are all for it.
Let me know what you think.
Kat
I think it would be great to have fundraisers.
Nothing like being a little maverick against the naysayers to bring a positive idea to life.
You do one of two things when someone stands in your way. You go through them or you go around them.
Personally, I prefer to go around them so you don’t have to deal with them directly:)
I am familiar with the run around in trying to get initial funding for a project.
I would suggest trying banks out of the area, Wausau or Rhinelander, even into Milwaukee or Chicago. They tend to be a little more open to start-up financing.
You may also want to spend time researching loans on the internet. I found several options through companies like lendingtree.com
This is a really fabulous idea and I hope that you are able to work something out soon. If I were ever brave enough to go into business for myself, I have always wanted to do something for the older teenage crowd along the lines of Seattle’s “Vera Project,” which is a music and arts center run for and by adolescents. Too big of a wish for a town the size of Antigo, but I suppose everyones allowed at least one pipe dream.
well we have finally secured ourselves some money. It’s not all we need but it puts us close enough to finally get the ball rolling. We also finally have a building. Yahoo. Our dream is finally going to be put in motion. Can’t wait to put up our sign “Opening Soon”. Fill you in with more details when we get them.
angie and kathy
Let’s get it put in but there needs too be rules like nobody over the age of 21 allowed unless you have a night just for them…I don’t want my kids around a bunch of drunks sorry ppl but I dont’
dear neverserious ,there will be no drinking in our establishment ever it will be a family place and we will not let anyone in that has been drinking. I t will be patrolled by our security guards at all times, we want this to be a family friendly place no swearing, no smoking , no drinking and no fighting. We will be allowing adults in to the center, if they conform to the rules just like everyone else must. A Family Fun Center is just what the name says a place for familes. If we limit it to only people under 21 parents would not be allowed in. Thank you for your concern please do not hesitate to ask any other questions you may have.
Any idea of how many people you will be employing (security guards, cleaning, other staff, etc), or will it be a family-run establishment?
Is this idea dead as a result of the new business going into County Market?
WHAT’S HAPPENINGWITH THE ROLLERSKATING RINK? WHAT NEW BUSINESS IS GOING INTO THE COUNTY MARKET?
Evidently from what I’ve heard, it’s the old Farmers Elevator. I’d interested in learning what’s going on with the roller rink also, haven’t heard about anything in a while (???).
Yes, what happened to the roller rink???
my dear supporters it is with great sorrow that I have to announce that the roller skating rink will not become a reality. we have turned every rock, explored every avenue and tried to jump all the obsticles that were put in our path, but in the end, we were unable to find a building , or financing to build another , the city council was helpful, but we just could not seem to satisy all their demands, I am really sorry for getting everyones hopes up, no one is more disappoined that we are. It seems that the people that matter(those with the funds) do not see the value in the project that the rest of us did. .Thanks again for all your support. Kat
Ladies, thanks for attempting to give our young people another healthy option here in Antigo. Your efforts are appreciated.
i am sorry that your dream has been popped by those who seem to think that its a waste of time or money. these kids need some kind of outlet in our town. this could have even possibly employed some of the more responsible teens in the area to keep them off the streets. its too bad that those with the fund want to spend money on a train that just sits around or a park that can only be utilized part of the year, but let alone something that could have been used 365 days a year. this is another sad ending for antigo. and yes all will come up with pros and cons but this is sad. as i was one who utilized the old rink some time ago.
My guess is that fairly soon, this great idea or one very similar will come up again and one of the “names” in Antigo, will miraculously get immediate funding for it.
Kathy & Angie, I also extend my sympathies for the end of your dream for the youth of our community. While I support community involvement and restoration with the new playground and museum train, I also agree that money could have been better used for the benefit of our troubled teen population.
my opinion on this is…….if our children had places to go and things to do they would not be getting into all the trouble that they are………remember The Red Robin Lounge…….Dave and April were great…..unfortunately they had to move to a warmer climate due to Dave’s arthritis……..I spent alot of time there when I was a teen……the Saturday night dances were a must attend for me……I really miss that place and also the roller rink that was here when I was a kid…….I think a place to go is exactly what the kids of this community need………..hopefully it will happen soon…….
WE NEED THIS FOR OUR COMMUNITY!!!! LETS SET A NEW DATE FOR THIS UNTIL IT GETS APPROVED!!!!
Kathy and Angie I thought of a great place to try for money to get your dream up and running. Have you considered Uncle Sam. States have been getting stimulous money for different things and to help create jobs. That would be awesome if you could finally get your skating rink going. I see that the old Yamaha building is still empty I heard that was where the old skating rink in Antigo was, that would be a cool spot for one. I moved to Antigo in 87 from Cape Cod so I never saw the original rink and having one in town again would be a great asset to the community. Good Luck on your dream.
The city own the old Yamaha and has severe restrictions for it. Also, it cannot be sold, so good luck with that.
Why don’t you try getting a Pepsi Refresh Grant?
http://www.refresheverything.com/
You post your idea and try to get people to vote for it. If you could get some kind of local coverage informing people that the idea has been posted (you only have a limited amount of time before the grants are decided on) it would increase the amount of votes your idea would get.
I don’t know if the Antigo Daily Journal or any of the local news stations would help you get more votes, but I’d say it’s worth contacting them over.
I would contact the Shoppers Guide, they seem to like these types of “underdog” stories.
Thanks for the suggestion of the Pepsi Refresh grant We will look into that, I will post on here when we get the idea submitted to the grant.
We will need everyones support to win this so be ready to vote vote vote and tell all your family, friends and enemies also….
We never gave up on the idea for the roller rink, it just had to go on hold until a good idea came along..
Thank for remembering us. Kat