By: Krystal Smalley
Ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
The sound of roller skates and arcade games are once again filling the rooms of the former Cotsamire’s Skateland.
Andy and Tenia Thoroughman purchased the former skating rink at 233 East Mansfield in March and celebrated with an opening of the Sk8 Factory Friday morning.
The Thoroughman renovated the building and put a new coating of polyurethane on the skating rink.
“Just a lot of working hours,” Andy said.
“A lot of love and time,” Tenia added.
The renovation of the building really was a family affair, the Thoroughmans said. The whole process was accomplished with the help of family members and friends, from the painting to the cleaning.
“The last couple of months we’ve really come a long ways. We’re actually pretty proud of ourselves,” Andy said. “We just hope this flies and kids really enjoy the new look.”
“Our vision is to give the kids somewhere to hang out because Bucyrus there’s really not a lot for kids to do,” Andy said.
The Sk8 Factory will feature an arcade room, a gaming room that has Xbox and Wii, and the roller rink. The Thoroughmans also hope to have laser tag at some point in the basement of the building and a haunted house upstairs.
“We want to get kids off the streets,” said Tenia, who is also a foster parent. “We hope kids can come in here, be happy, hang out, and know they are safe.”
“The building itself is 14,500 square feet so it has a lot of potential,” Andy added. “We have a lot of great ideas that we will eventually attend to in the future.”
The Sk8 Factory will be open on Fridays and Saturdays from 6 – 10 p.m. and from 2 – 5 p.m. on Sundays. They will also be open for special occasions, holidays, and birthday parties. For more information call the Sk8 Factory at 419-689-0948 or Andy’s cell at 419-569-9832.