The sale of Rollaway Skating Rink for conversion to an adult entertainment center serving hard liquor is far from a done deal, the owner said Wednesday.
Thomas Williams said he wasn't aware until Wednesday there was an offer being made on the property at 1203 Idaho St. in Lewiston. He understands it is substantially less than the $420,000 asking price, but he hasn't received it in writing, Williams said.
There has been no follow-up negotiation, Williams said.
Chad Wassmuth and Brandon Ohlson, now doing business as LC Industries and former owners of Bricks, a defunct Main Street bar, approached the Nez Perce County Commission Tuesday in a first step to locating a liquor establishment in the Rollaway building. They indicated they might retain skating but for adults only.
Lewiston city code requires written agreement from the owners and lessees of businesses within 200 feet of a premises serving liquor by the drink. Property owners include Nez Perce County, the city of Lewiston, state of Idaho, and five professional buildings whose occupants include engineers, attorneys and a title company.
Williams said he was under the impression after speaking to his real estate agent that the prospective buyers had restaurant and liquor licenses and were interested in something like a family dining establishment.
Williams, who now lives in the Seattle area, said he was surprised to hear of the Lewiston Tribune story that he and his sister, Sandra Newcomb of the Yakima area, intended to sell the building and it would be turned into a tavern. He also was unaware public officials were being approached to begin the needed approval process for a business serving liquor.
Their family was a strong fixture of "old Lewiston," he said, "and we would never intend to do the wrong thing in terms of the roller rink."
The building has been leased for about 20 years to Don and Debbie Woods of Lewiston, who own and operate the business itself, Williams said.
Williams' and Newcomb's parents were Dorothy (Dot) and George (Harg) Williams. Harg Williams was mayor of Lewiston in the early 1960s. The couple operated what was then called Skateland Roller Rink from 1946 to 1974 when they retired.
The building was a Yellow Front variety store for a time before it became Rollaway.
"We would like to continue on as it's been," Williams said, but he and his sister are at the point in their lives where a sale is starting to make sense financially.
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Lee may be contacted at slee@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2266.
