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The Oklahoman writer appears to know nothing about the building they just refer to it as a 3 story building at NW 7th and Virgina. From what I could gather in the video and Google Maps the building is Star Arena the old ice skating rink that was popular into the early 80's.

Now give the writer a bit of a break - he wasn't even born when the ice rink was open. I've alerted him to the back-story and hopefully he'll dig into it some more.

This building housed the Rocket Skating Rink for several years, before it was converted to a ice skating rink.

Isnt this building near a homeless shelter center.
Or some land that is being the center of a "insidious" land deal..
Just asking based on a conversation I had with a friend of mine.

The shelter center is about 4 blocks S. of this building.

There was an emergency storage facility of some type there or next door (Salvation Army?) but that's not the shelter. Shelter is down south of I-40, right near the Goodwill bldg. which the city recently purchased for C2S land.

Technically speaking, it was called Starena.

It was never pretty and often criticized by visiting teams from nicer cities....but it was the only ice in the city for several years and helped keep hockey alive.

Another piece of Oklahoma City ice rink history down the drain....along with Iceland and the Ice Chalet.

I spent many an hour skating at the Rocket, back in the day.

They just dont make signs like they used to...sigh

So, not pretty, often criticized, and apparently quite flammable.

I skated there in the 60's and can still remember the music that was played, especially Bob Dylan's (Positively 4th street.)

To put a historical sidenote on it, this was the practice rink for the Oklahoma City Stars in the early 80's.

This rink was famous for early morning stalagmites that would form on the ice from all-night water dripping from the low ceiling. A few broken ankles that I can remember.

Yeah..now they make them with less lead paint and more mercury...lol

Never knew it had hockey..cool

I learned to roller skate at the Rocket. When I was a kid back in the 60s and 70s, all the area churches of Christ had a monthly skate night for the youth at the Rocket. We went nearly every time. I thought it had the best floor for roller skating there was. Loved that place. Great place to go back in the day.

apparent update to the story in Monday's Oklahoman (mentioning many of the things posted by others)
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