Durham residents hope city will preserve, expand on what's made Wheels Family Fun Park special

For decades, Wheels has offered go-karts, mini-golf and a skating rink in showing fun-seekers of all ages a good time.

Birthday parties, first dates and other experiences central to a roller rink are on the line after the city purchased the eight-acre site last year and have considered turning it into an outdoor aquatics facility.

Emma Rochon fell in love with the rink through her involvement with Bull City Roller Derby - a roller skating team that met twice a week at Wheels until it closed.

"It’s so integral to my identity," said Rochon. "Wheels to me means the community that I’ve grown to love.

I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a sad time at Wheels. It was always full of people recreationally skating."

"This is a space for Black and brown communities to skate together, intergenerationally," said Gideon Bueno, also part of the roller derby team.

The team is at the forefront of an effort save Wheels. Bull City Roller Derby is made up of about 35 people.

Mayor Pro Tempore Mark-Anthony Middleton said he knows there's support for having skating to return to the venue.

"We’re very open to having not only an aquatics center there, but having skating return," Middleton said.

Middleton said since the city already owns the property, they can set their own timeline on a decision.

Durham Parks and Rec Assistant Director Jason Jones told WRAL News that it's possible the facility could house a pool and a rink.

"The pool and skating rink are not an either-or situation," he said in an email. "We continue receiving input on the entire Wheels facility. No decisions have been made thus far. Both can certainly happen."

The city said they'll soon ask for more input from the public through the survey.

"Before the pandemic, my family and I spent probably three nights a week here," said Melaine Unwin, who has three children and lives in Carrboro. "It was just a welcoming space. A space that could be enjoyed by everybody."