MACON, Ga. — Many people in Central Georgia remember putting on skates and rolling around the old skating rink in Macon.
Leslie Johns owned and leased the old Bibb Skate Arena for three years until it closed in 2017. She says she met her husband there three years ago.
“A lot of families started from the 60’s up here at this rink … A lot of people got married … And that’s why so many people want it back,” Johns said.
The rink on Highway 247 has been closed for seven years. Joel Shiver, the owner of the newly reopened and rebranded arena, says the Level Up Family Entertainment Center will offer roller skating, laser tag, an indoor playground and an arcade. He says he plans to make the rink a family attraction.
“You deal with the teenagers, you see where they come from. It’s their outlet, and it’s not just their outlet. It might be the outlet for that mom that is stuck at home all day long, or whoever it may be - but it’s definitely a place to bring people together,” Shiver said.
Shiver says the venue will be affordable with specials and deals.
He owns Gray8Skate in Gray, and says he wants to get folks skating in Macon again.
“Watching all these families coming together, I hope I can do that here. I hope I can bring back the history,” Shiver said.
Johns said when she owned the rink, she enjoyed making memories with her grandkids, and she hopes to continue that.
“Now we’ve got three grandkids, and I am so excited that they’ll be able to skate on our floor that we skated on,” Johns said.
Shiver says he hopes to hold an open house in late July or early August and hopes to maintain history to keep skaters rolling in.
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