Mayor closes skateboarding rink

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday ordered the closure of a skateboarding rink near the old Compania Maritima building for lack of permits.

Rama noticed the rink  while inspecting the temporary terminal for vans-for-hire at the lot in front of the Maritima building yesterday morning.

The rink, below street level,  is partly hidden  by a concrete graffiti wall at the corner of Quezon Boulevard and Lapu-Lapu Street.

“I would like it closed in the meantime. If there are accidents, who will be accountable? That’s a dangerous area,” Rama told reporters.

He ordered City Administrator Lucelle Mercado to check the area and talk to the owner.

Monitor
It was found out that the facility is owned by a certain Marslou Crestoria, who also owns the nearby Kokodine Restaurant.

The area called Emporium Skate Park charges customers, mostly teenagers, P35 for the use of the facility from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

“I told him he can’t accept customers anymore. They have no business permit. There’s nothing to close. But I told him starting today, if he accepts customers the city will really padlock the area. We will continue to monitor them,” Mercado said.

The area has a skateboarding ramp and half-circle pipe, which the mayor pointed out is dangerous especially since most of the teenagers  don’t wear helmets.

Rama said the teenagers can  skateboard in the closed-off road fronting the Malacañang sa Sugbo building.
Crestoria said the skate park started operating only last May although they started construction in January 2014.

Crestoria promised to abide by City Hall’s order.

He said he’s still thinking if he will apply for a business permit for the facility since he’s already planning to transfer.

Crestoria told Cebu Daily News that his lease contract for the building which also houses his restaurant will expire this month.

From a P50,000 monthly lease, he said the owner is planning to increase it to P120,000 starting next month.