Harrison County rejects skate park proposals. What now?

At least three of the four entrepreneurs interested in using the Harrison County Skate Park property will resubmit proposals for the project after the county rejected all four proposals and advertised for new ones.

Supervisor Connie Rockco, whose District 5 is home to the park, said the supervisors wanted to make sure the people making proposals know the building was being leased “as is” with no modifications or improvements offered by the county.

Bo Lindsay, who with his partners wants to operate the indoor portion of the park as the Planet Ice hockey rink, said their proposal was already pretty close to being for the building “as is.”

He said he was frustrated that they received no communication from the county before the proposals were rejected. Still, they’re considering again submitting a proposal for a hockey rink.

“We still think it will be a great thing,” said Lindsay, who said he ran a successful public skating season at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum this year and has had success with youth and adult hockey. “Now, though, we’re a little skeptical.”

One of his partners operates a Planet Ice in Lafayette, Louisiana.

A group of parents, grandparents and skaters who became friends at the public skating started a petition asking the supervisors to approve an ice rink.

Kevin Mattina, who wants to put indoor soccer, footgolf and other sports on the property, said he plans to try again as well.

“I’m hoping they give me more information about what they want,” he said. “I don’t know how long they’ll take to make a decision.”

He said he and his partners recently opened a course near Columbus, Ohio.

The deadline for submitting proposals is 10:30 a.m. April 5 at the Supervisors Boardroom in the Gulfport courthouse, according to an legal ad placed in the Sun Herald.

Shaheed Ali of A&A Entertainment said he still wants to put a roller rink in the building and will submit a new proposal after he learns more about what the county wants. Francisco Gonzalez of Gonzaflex Productions, who proposed a film school at the park, could not be reached.

The park has sat empty since a film studio, which replaced the skate park in 2014, folded.

This story was originally published March 7, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Harrison County rejects skate park proposals. What now?."