Sky Land in Sussex, NJ

[skate1965]

Does anyone know what is happening with Sky Land. It's such a great facility and I hate that it is closed. I know they are trying to sell it, but they have to be loosing a lot of money with it closed.

[JazzySkate]

Agreed - too bad it closed suddenly after 1 1/2 yrs. Owner claimed he "made money but was advised by his R.E. agent that 'he could make more by selling as commercial/retail" which is ridiculous, because there's a strip mall next door and two more north on 23 within 5-10 mins. The county doesn't need 2 strip malls within inches of each other-it needs a rink.

IMO the timing for closing was also ridiculous: next yr.'s the Olympics and there's usually a surge in enrollment of hockey & figure skaters; not to mention the area's building up very fast in Vernon (Mountain Creek), it was the only rink in the county with no[/B] competition, very easy to get to, created jobs for kids who otherwise wouldn't have anything to do and was long-anticipated. Pope John H.S. hockey team and parents even paid out of their own pockets for a hockey locker room. Now it's sits there collecting dust.

If that was the owner's idea of not giving a business a chance to grow, only to try to make a fast buck then he truly wasn't in it for the sake of the kids. Some rinks close due to financial/maintenance or other reasons after a few years. I hope that if another rink opens within the county, the owner will be someone experienced in the rink/skating business who's sincerely in it for the kids/parents/community and not for selfish reasons.

[skate1965]

I just think it's so sad. My coach and I were driving by on our way to PA and we saw the door was open and wandered in... the real estate guy was there and gave us a tour. The facility is so nice! So new. He said it had become a focal spot in the county for recreation. I was hoping to teach there because it is near my weekend home, but oh well. The real estate guy said the county is hoping someone buys it who will reopen the rink, but that seems rather unlikely at this point.
Maybe someone can talk Oksana into her "own rink" rather than skating at Hackensack. :)

[Isk8NYC]

Why doesn't the County buy it?

[skate1965]

I'm sure Sussex county does not have that kind of money...