By the end of the year, Aransas Pass will have a new rollerskating rink, movie theater, and bowling alley with that skating rink set to open Saturday.
“It’s unusual in a smaller town to have three openings basically at the same time,” Aransas Pass City Manager Gary Edwards said.
Edwards isn’t aware of his city ever having its own movie theater, but that will become a reality when the construction is complete at the site on Marshall Lane behind the Allen Samuels Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep dealership in late summer or early fall.
City inspectors will do final run-throughs at the Sk8Land 2 skating rink Thursday. If all is well, the rink, that also has a location in Annaville, plans to open two days later.
“With two locations it’s going to be overwhelming trying to go back and forth and manage both, but I’m very excited about it,” rink part-owner Victoria Ruiz said.
Hurricane Harvey caused so much damage to the skating rink at 1920 W. Wheeler Avenue that the previous owners decided not to reopen. Ruiz and her best friend decided to take over, and four months’ worth of renovations later, the rink is good as new.
“We had many customers from our other location ask us to open up a roller rink [in Aransas Pass], so that’s what we did,” Ruiz said.
Hurricane Harvey also took its toll on Aransas Pass’ bowling alley. It’s since been torn down, but the city says there are plans to rebuild, possibly before the end of the year.
“That shows that the recovery is underway, and the recovery is working,” Edwards said.
