'I think it's going to be a hit:' Interest high in Eastdale Mall's new Roller Palace
What was once an icy surface now looks like tranquil water you could dive into — but please don't. You might scuff the new roller skating floor just finished at Eastdale Mall.
"The floor's blue, the walls are white. It looks good," said Richard Holman, general manager for Eastdale Mall. "It kind of looks like an ocean or a swimming pool."
The former Ice Palace — which had been in place since Eastdale Mall opened in 1977 — is now officially the Roller Palace, complete with new signage, new dècor and a whole bunch of new roller skates that are just waiting to be strapped on. Work on the 8,000-square-foot floor began in September.
"It's basically ready to go," Holman said Thursday. That evening, workers were adding a final touch against the wall. to mark a zone for beginner skaters.
Holman said the rink will be open for rolling on Tuesday, after a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony.
"I think it's going to be a hit," Holman said. "The phones have been ringing with people wanting to know when we're starting."
Normal roller skating hours will be from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Outside of that, Holman said he doesn't anticipate having a time limit for skaters to be on the floor — at least for now. It depends on how popular it gets. The mall now has 100 pairs of brand-new skates for guests.
"I might have to just see how it goes," he said. "If we get to where 100 skates are gone and people are waiting, we might have to put 2 or 3 hours on it."
With skate rental and rink use, it'll be $8 a person. It's the same price the mall charged for ice skating.
Their skate sizes currently run from 1 to 13, but Holman said they'll soon add more to accommodate larger feet. He doesn't want anyone feeling excluded.
"I want you to come skating," he said.
That includes guests who bring their own skates, as long as the wheels are in good condition and won't damage the floor. For them, he said it'll be $5 to skate. "That seems fair to me," Holman said.
But be aware: Wheels that look like they've run over gravel and been damaged won't be allowed at the Roller Palace.
"Nothing that will cut up the floor," Holman said.
To go along with the nearby food court eateries guests can enjoy before and after skating, Holman said future plans include a possible snack area at the rink with vending machines, so that guests can get a bite or a drink without turning in their skates.
"That way people won't have to leave the rink, unless they just want to go and get something," he said.
As of Thursday, Santa's already arrived at Eastdale Mall, set up close the rink as always. By the time roller skating opens, the mall's Christmas Tree will be set up in the middle of the rink.
"We'll put something around (the tree) so that kids don't run into it or bother it," Holman said.
The rink will also be the center point for the mall's celebration to mark the end of 2022 at noon on Dec. 31, with a balloon drop, music and other surprises. It'll also host other events in the months ahead.
While getting away from the expense and constant maintenance the former ice rink required to keep frozen all the time is a major plus for Holman, there's another reason that may have him joining his mall guests on the floor.
"I never ice skated because I didn't think I could do it, but I might can put on some roller skates," Holman said.
Looking back on The Ice Palace
Forty-five years ago, the ice skating rink was the feature attraction at Eastdale Mall’s grand opening.
According to reports, the rink cost an estimated $350,000 to construct.
The rink was 8,000 square feet, and was built about 3 feet below the mall’s floor.
Like today, the rink was surrounded by glass a glass wall on the mall's floor, with a wooden railing on top that mall shoppers could lean on as they looked down to watch skaters.
When it opened in 1977, the rink was known as Looney’s Ice Emporium. It was run by Texas native Pleas Looney, who also operated a roller skating rink in Montgomery.
The rink was designed to hold up to 350 skaters at a time.
Those early skaters could buy lessons from Nanette Passarella, a 1968 Winter Olympics silver medal winner for East Germany.
Keeping the rink’s ice frozen 24 hours a day was expensive and required constant maintenance. Even on opening day, there was equipment failure.
In the years to come, it hosted the Ice Capades, traveling entertainment shows that often featured champion skaters.
The rink was also was a place for fashion shows, concerts, exhibitions for student skaters, holiday events, parties, and more.
By December of 1978, Looney's name was gone from the rink, which became known as the Eastdale Ice Skating Center.
Since the late '80s, it's been operating as The Ice Palace.
Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel covers things to do in the River Region. Contact him at sheupel@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Wheels up: The new Roller Palace opens Tuesday at Eastdale Mall
