GLENDALE, Ariz. — Great Skate in Glendale will reopen Monday night after months of repairs from a monsoon storm that left the iconic skating rink with flood damage.
The storm hit Great Skate in July of this year, causing the ceiling to cave in and the roof to lift off, manager Sonya Birtt said.
"It was an unbelievable sight, but literally walked in and went this like a bad dream," Britt said.
Employees worked to clean up the water and fallen insulation, Britt said, but it wasn't fast enough.
The brand-new wooden skating floor that Great Skate had installed in November of 2023 was flooded and destroyed. Half of it had to be repaired. The 40-year-old lighting in the ceiling was ruined, and it was too old to get spare parts. Britt said it would also have to be replaced with something newer.
"It was it was devastating. It was heartbreaking to see it that way," she said.
Between clean-up, insurance and repairs, Great Skate was closed for five months.
And some repairs still aren't finished. The roof is fixed and secured, but half the ceiling tiles are still missing. Some of the electrical still needs to be replaced at the far end of the rink, Britt said, but they've installed temporary lighting in the meantime.
Great Skate reopens Monday at 6 p.m.
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