Muscatine

useage

I could see churchs, schools/pto's, boyscouts/girlscouts, etc. renting it out for group parties on week nights. Fun and good exercise too.

Nice idea, but.......

While it's nice to see an idea for something to do in this town, it won't work the way you suggest. Apparently you haven't lived here that long, or don't remember that we used to have a skating rink here. Apparently the place didn't make enough money to stay alive, or it would still be here. It's now a dance studio.

Another problem with it is, the city has no business running a business on/in rented property. I doubt you will find much support from the powers that be, wanting to rent space at the mall. I myself wouldn't want my tax dollars making some landlord wealthier.

Again, I applaud the suggestion, but this one won't fly.

It might ''fly''.

I understand your points, Anonymous, but I think the skating rink idea might have a chance. Not sure, but it has a good chance.

The old skating rink was in a deteriorated condition and in a bad location.
I do believe that the rink would have to offer skating lessons or something like that to build a large enough customer base. In otherwords, resurrect skating as a popular thing for kids and adults to do (like it used to be).
As far as the city running a business, the city runs a huge recreational facility/business now out at Muni golf course (it appears to be very successful).

I don't understand your reluctance relative to ''making some landlord wealthier'' with your tax dollars. All of our tax dollars are ultimately reinvested in private businesses somewhere, thus contributing to profit for many businesses. There can be too much of this (too much taxation and government involvment). But the bottom line is that all tax dollars are invested somehow and eventually in private businesses or individuals (in otherwords those dollars don't somehow dissappear into some government vault). I do grant that, in most cases, this investment is much less efficient than private enterprise would be.

It would probably be best for a private party to take this on, but the city might very well make it work given the right conditions.

Difference

There's a huge difference between the golf course, and a skating rink at the mall. The city owns the golf course grounds, they do not rent the land as far as I know. I don't know if the mall owners are selling space now, or more than likey still renting space to businesses.

This would be the same arguement if you put it up against the aquatic center, the city owns the park, therefore no rent involved.

I will agree that the old Skateland was getting in pretty poor shape. Do you suppose that was because there just wasn't enough money being made to keep up with repairs, and still make a living?