By JACQUELINE DURETT
Correspondent
SOUTH AMBOY — Whether or not to reopen South Amboy RollerMagic following a roof collapse isn’t a question for manager Sherry Sullivan. The only question is how long it will take.
The domed roof collapsed onto the roller skating rink floor on Jan. 26 after a massive storm that dumped two feet of snow on the area the previous weekend.
However, Sullivan said, that this past Tuesday the rink wasn’t open for roller skating, so only office personnel were on hand when it gave way.
Prior to the collapse, she said the staff had heard the roof creaking. “We heard some strange sounds,” she said.
The staff reached out to contractors to move the snow off the roof. But they had no luck, she said, so instead they reached out to the police and fire departments to handle an emergency situation.
When the roof finally fell, everyone at the rink was outside.
“We were in the front of the building,” she explained.
For Sullivan, the event has caused some mixed emotions. She said she was happy that no one was hurt and the building did not sustain more damage than it could have. For instance, the roof fell right onto the rink floor, avoiding the new carpeting at RollerMagic.
“It could have been a lot worse than it was,” she said.
However, after the snow and debris had been cleared out, the impact of the damage set in.
“It was heartbreaking,” she said.
She said word got out quickly about the damage, particularly through social media, and the rink didn’t have anyone show up following the closure looking to skate.
The RollerMagic building on North Stevens Avenue was built in 1958 and is still a family-owned operation. Sullivan said the staff has reached out to all families who had or have an event such as a birthday party planned at the rink. Some families have chosen to reschedule their event for RollerMagic’s other New Jersey location in Jackson (a third facility is in Connecticut), while others have postponed their parties for when the South Amboy facility reopens.
Sullivan said the area is completely cleaned up now and she is focused on reopening. She said she is currently waiting for the architectural drawings for the new roof to be complete, so there is no specific time frame for reopening.
However, when that reopening does happen, Sullivan said it will be quite the cause for celebration.
“I want to be open as soon as possible,” she said. “It’s no fun standing outside.”
