ORANGE —After more than five decades of birthday parties, school outings and generations of families gliding across its wooden floor, one of Orange County’s last traditional roller rinks—Holiday Skate Center—has closed to make way for a proposed 46-townhome development.
Holiday Skate Center, in operation since 1973, hosted its final sessions Aug. 2 after the property owner opted not to renew its lease and instead pursue demolition of the 19,015-square-foot roller skating rink.
“Our lease arrangements ended on June 30, 2026, and the property owner has chosen not to extend them. Instead, we have been directed to vacate the property,” according to the Holiday Skate Center website.
The private owners of the 1.5-acre property at 175 N. Wayfield St. are seeking city approval to rezone the site for the “Wayfield Project,” a 36-unit townhome development, according to city planning documents. The plan also calls for 10 more townhomes to be built on a nearby half-acre lot at 1935 E. Chapman Ave., currently a used car lot.
“As with all things, times change and evolve,” Peter Whittingham, a spokesperson for the property owners, told the Business Journal.
According to CoStar records, CJT Property LLC owns the roller-skating rink site. The property was transferred from the Ferguson Family Trust in 2015. The adjacent lot is owned by T Squared Ents LLC.
Whittingham says both lots are owned by a family trust, with several members now in their 70s and 80s.
“They hope to make the best decision for their children and grandchildren while helping to address one of the state’s most pressing needs—the development of new housing opportunities,” Whittingham said.
Housing Proposal
City records show the Wayfield proposal calls for razing the skating rink and constructing three-story townhomes, with two units set aside for very-low-income households.
The project needs the city to approve a zoning change from commercial use before construction can begin.
City officials are expected to review the request later this year.
Whittingham said the family knows many residents feel strongly and are emotional about the rink, but they believe it’s time to consider redevelopment.
“The properties along the east side of Wayfield were originally the family home and orange grove dating back to the 19th century,” Whittingham said.
Over the years, the family developed the roller rink, leased the corner parcel for a Mobil gas station and sold another parcel that has long operated as a self-storage facility, he said.
Whittingham said residential developers have been interested in the property for years.
Whittingham did not say if the owners plan to work with a housing developer or sell the site after getting the needed approvals.
“Ownership will look at various scenarios if the desired entitlements are approved,” he said.
Rink Owner Seeks to Buy Property
Holiday Skate Center owner Donald Telford, who has worked at the rink for 25 years and purchased the business in 2023, told the Business Journal he offered to buy the property to keep the rink open. He values it at $6 million.
“They wouldn’t talk to me at all. They wouldn’t negotiate,” Telford said.
After retiring as an accountant, the skating enthusiast began working at the Orange rink.
“I did it all. I was DJ, floor guard, manager, handyman, plumber, electrician, whatever needed to be done. See those lights? I put those up,” he said, pointing to neon starburst lights on the wall.
In 2023, he bought the rink.
“I paid a quarter million for it. I’ve gotten four or five times that back,” he said. “If I lose it, I’m still way ahead of the game.”
If the owners are unable to obtain the necessary entitlements, Telford said he remains willing to negotiate.
“I just wish that they would give us a shot.”
Community Members Protest Closure
The proposed Holiday Skate Center redevelopment plan is part of a broader trend in Orange County and across Southern California, where older commercial and recreational properties are being replaced with housing as land values and demand rise.
Similar proposals often pit the preservation of long-standing community gathering places against property owners’ efforts to redevelop valuable land for residential use.
The plan to redevelop the skating rink has led to a grassroots campaign in the community to stop it.
In June, a Change.org petition asking Orange city leaders to reject the zoning change gathered nearly 14,000 signatures from skaters, parents and other residents.
The petition says that Holiday Skate Center is “one of the few remaining affordable, family-friendly indoor activities in our area.”
Public roller skating sessions cost between $11 to $16 for admission, depending on age and time of day.
“For nearly 53 years, Holiday Skate Center has been an important recreational facility in our community,” the petition reads. “More than just a recreational facility, it is a safe, inclusive, and vital hub that promotes physical health, youth sports (roller figure skating), and social connection for skaters of all ages and backgrounds.”
“I grew up going to my roller rink with my family, for my elementary school events, and my friends,” wrote Leslie, an Orange resident, on the petition. “I’ve made countless memories here and so have thousands of others. We are losing so many historical places and it’s heartbreaking that this might be another loss to the history of Orange.”
With its closure, the only other traditional roller skating rink operating in Orange County is the Fountain Valley Skating Center.
Executive Editor Nancy Luna contributed to this report.
City of Orange Budget Woes Spur Revenue Measures
Orange’s redevelopment debate comes as city leaders grapple with long-term fiscal challenges and search for new revenue sources.
Last year, financial consultant Grant Thornton warned that the city could face bankruptcy within three years without higher revenue and spending cuts. The city now projects a $27.6 million deficit in fiscal 2027 and a cumulative $122 million shortfall over the next six years.
To help bridge the gap, officials placed a one-cent sales tax increase and a hotel tax hike—from 10% to 14% for hotels with 11 or more rooms—on the November ballot. The city is also asking voters this fall whether Orange should become a charter city, a change officials say would provide greater local control over municipal operations and contracting.
In February, the city launched a paid parking program in Old Towne Orange. The council has also approved several infill, small-lot housing projects.
In June, the city approved a plan from Irvine-based Melia Homes to turn a former Best Buy on a 4.2-acre site at 3741 W. Chapman Ave. into 71 three-story single-family homes. A 2.71-acre commercial site on Katella Avenue, formerly an AT&T building, was demolished to make way for nearly 50 townhomes by Taylor Morrison, which went on sale this year.
—Joseph Pimentel