Dear Monterey Skates Community,
We have some unfortunate news to share — Monterey Skates will not be moving forward at the Del Monte Shopping Center. 💔
What Happened
It would have been one of the fanciest roller skating rinks in the country — but in the end, the space simply didn't have enough restrooms (or the water credits to build new ones) to convert it from retail use to a high-traffic social venue like a skating rink.
This wasn't for lack of effort. Federal Realty, the owner of Del Monte Center, had an entire team dedicated to working with the city to find a creative solution. The City of Monterey's Planning and Building Departments were extremely helpful throughout the process, walking us through the code requirements every step of the way. We were left with the strong impression that everyone involved would have been thrilled to see this business open at the mall.
Sometimes, despite everyone's best efforts, the math just doesn't work. This was one of those times.
We're Not Done Yet
While the mall didn't work out, we're not abandoning the dream. We have a few promising leads on other spaces and we're actively exploring them now. We've also learned an important lesson along the way: don't announce anything until the ink is dry on the permits! 😅
We'll keep working behind the scenes and we'll let you know the moment we have something concrete to share.
Lost & Found
On a lighter note — we have an entire laundry basket of lost and found items from our pop-up at the Fairgrounds. Hats, jackets, water bottles, you name it. We even have a pair of inline skates someone left behind!
If you think you may have left something at the rink, reach out to us and we'll let you know if we have it. We'd love to reunite you with your stuff before too much more time goes by.
Thank You
To everyone who has supported us through this journey — thank you. Your encouragement, your skating, your birthday parties, and your enthusiasm have meant the world. This isn't the end of the story; it's just a plot twist. Stay tuned. 💜
❤️ The Monterey Skates Team!