Springfield Skateland, a roller skating rink at 5163 S. Campbell Ave., will remain open after the business was vandalized early in the morning on Wednesday, Dec. 17, with damages expected to exceed $80,000.
Gary Fudge, who owns Springfield Skateland with his wife Susan, said he received an activity report shortly after 3 a.m. from his security software, at which time a friend drove by the facility and saw the alleged vandals drive away.
Fudge later discovered that four air conditioning units had been stolen, with coils and copper wire cut from another four. Fudge anticipates that he will have to replace all eight units.
At $10,000 per unit, Springfield Skateland is looking at about $80,000 in damages. Fudge said he does not yet know how much insurance will cover, noting that he didn’t get much help from insurance after a similar incident 15 years ago.
Despite the setback, Springfield Skateland will reopen Wednesday night for its family night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Fudge said, noting that the furnaces are still operational.
“Air conditioners, I’m going to need probably around the end of February, or something like that,” Fudge said. “But right now, we’re still OK.”
It does not appear that anyone entered the building, Fudge said. A police report has been filed and the case has been assigned to a detective, a Springfield Police Department spokesperson confirmed with the Daily Citizen.
In a Facebook post, Springfield Skateland asks anyone who notices large amounts of copper or related materials being sold for cash to contact local authorities and Springfield Skateland.
Jack McGee
Jack McGee is the government affairs reporter at the Springfield Daily Citizen. He previously covered politics and business for the Daily Citizen. He’s an MSU graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism and a minor political science. Reach him at jmcgee@sgfcitizen.org or (417) 837-3663. More by Jack McGee
