Landmark two rollerskating is closing its doors in the Northwest Suburbs the orbit skate Center in Palatine is shutting down after nearly five decades of fun Eyewitness News reporter Karen Jordan took one last spin around the rink at orbit skate Center in Palatine it seems like everything is in motion from the
Disco ball to the wheels on the countless roller skates to the skaters themselves ranging from regulars with advanced skills to others who are rusty at best but at the end of the month orbit will close its doors for good after 46 years in business a casualty says owner Sandra Levin of high
Maintenance costs and aggressive property taxes if I could have moved this rink five and a half miles to either lake or cane we would still be open but in a few weeks Cook County will lose yet another roller rink and orbit is the largest in the Midwest it’s why skating enthusiast John
Price came here all the way from suburban Milwaukee so I’m glad I got here but I’m really sad and over the years orbit has been a second home for skaters and it’s brought many of them together I feel really sad that I got a lot of family and all
Girlfriend here Pamela pace has been coming here since it opened in 1972 and is not sure where she’ll go when it closes first time I put on skates is here and I loved it ever since Levin says a sense of community is what’s truly special about orbit I know
That we’ve provided memories for three generations we’ve had birthday parties fundraising parties we’ve raised money for everything from aids to homelessness on orbits last day which is March 31st that night they’re having a going-out-of-business bash where skaters can come at 7:00 o’clock and skate as long as they want to in Palatine Karen
Jordan ABC 7 Eyewitness News
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