Geraldton Sporting Aboriginal Corp. continues hunt for space after Rollerdrome sold to retailer for storage

Hopes for the revival of Geraldton’s old Rollerdrome have been dashed, with a well known local retailer purchasing the building for storage.

Electronics retailer Peter Brown, a director at Mitchell & Brown Retravision in Beresford, said on Thursday he had bought the building from Wonthella Sands and Building Supplies.

He said with COVID-19 disruptions, off-site storage had become an issue and plans for a purpose-built facility had not been able to go ahead.

The Beresford building, which sits at the end of a residential cul-de-sac, was a commercial rollerskating rink during its hey-day more than two decades ago, and more recently home to Sun City Christian Centre until 2015.

A proposal from Geraldton Sporting Aboriginal Corporation to bring the site back to its former glory drew significant positive attention online, but an application to the City of Greater Geraldton to develop the Beresford building garnered 47 public submissions, which Mayor Shane Van Styn said were mostly negative.

Geraldton Sporting Aboriginal Corporation executive officer Adrian Bartlett said he was not giving up on a new indoor sports and youth hub, eyeing other facilities.

“There’s no one place that’s big enough for all (those activities) now, but we can work towards it,” he said.

“We’re looking for other options now, we’ve got the feelers out.”

He said the intention was still to have public skating nights like the Rollerdrome previously offered.

He said the plan was still to offer other sports that had been popular in town but had closed down, such as indoor archery and 10-pin bowling.

The Sin City Rollers — Geraldton Roller Derby have been a major advocate for an indoor space suitable for skating, as the club currently do not have a suitable place for training or matches.

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn said private property transactions were a matter for the property owners and the City had no involvement.

“It seemed like a good idea to have the Rollerdrome reborn, but ultimately that’s a matter for the building owners themselves,” he said.

“The application is no longer with the City.”