Glenwood Roller Rink, a beloved local staple that closed in April 2025 due to structural damage, is set to reopen later this year after being bought by new owners, Glenwood Mayor Toleda Hart said.
The rink was formerly owned by the Quitter family, who at one point owned six rinks across the south and southwest suburbs, and still operate the Tinley Park Roller Rink. After it closed, the Glenwood rink was bought by Curtis and Ramona Pouncy, who own The Rink in Chicago.
“When it closed, right as I was coming in as the new mayor, the community was like, oh, it’s a staple, it has been here over 27 years,” Hart said. “It wasn’t just a skate rink, but a place where the community gathered.”
The main area of the rink that requires repairs is the roof, Hart said.
The village and the new owners recently reached an agreement under which the village will pay for the roof to be repaired using tax increment financing funds, and the Pouncys will pay the village back over a ten-year period, according to spokesperson Steve Patterson.
“I am extremely grateful that the Board of Trustees supported the vision to this project as being a major milestone for our local recreations,” Hart said. “The board just approved that we could assist them via TIF funds to reinvest back into the community, to put the roof on.”
The Pouncys couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.
The Glenwood rink reopening will also be a boon to the local economy, Hart said. Reopening is currently projected for late summer.
“We’re hoping in the next month or so, maybe late August, early September,” Hart said. “If we can get it done sooner, we want that.”
After the Glenwood rink closed last year, residents mourned its loss and reminisced over birthday parties and other fond memories at the long-lived establishment.
“If it wasn’t at someone’s house it would be at a place like the Glenwood Roller Rink, and that’s the way it was,” Erika Sandstrom told the Daily Southtown last year. “The roller rink gave people something safe to do, whether it was adults or kids. And when I would go there, I mean, I can remember, just the energy was always very positive.”
The hope is that the rink can again become a community hub, Hart said.
“They’re willing to give discounts to the community as well as doing educational workshops and stuff for the community, just around socialization, health, well-being, that kind of stuff,” Hart said.
Patterson gave the examples of “Glenwood Youth Skating Day,” “Senior Skate Night” or reduced-price days for residents as possibilities.
“We’re hoping that us helping them with the funds, that it will become like a state-of-the-art facility for generations to come,” Hart said.
With worry over ‘teen takeovers’ widespread, Hart said, supplying a safe environment for local teenagers to socialize will hopefully be beneficial to everyone.
“We don’t have anything for the youth to do,” Hart said. “This is an opportunity where they can gather in a safe place, right, be provided with supervision, get a discount to be there, but also a way that we can connect and engage them, give them an outlet or a safe place to be.”
elewis@chicagotribune.com
