New roller rink, arcade coming to New Horizon Mall

A roller rink and arcade are set to open at New Horizon Mall later this summer and ownership is hoping it can help draw people to the shopping centre.

The mall, located just north of Calgary and steps from CrossIron Mills, is hoping their newest anchor tenant will make it an entertainment destination.

“There isn’t a shopping centre in Calgary that has a roller rink, and there isn’t a shopping centre in Calgary that has 25,000 thousand square feet of kids entertainment,” says Bob Parsons, General Manager at New Horizon Mall. “So we’ve become something much different than what’s offered out there.”

The mall is already home to Sky Castle, a large indoor kids playground, and the new addition will be called the Sky Castle Roller Rink.

It’s a colourful addition to the mall, which has struggled to attract customers and business since it opened in 2018. The new roller rink opening has pushed the mall to 75 per cent capacity.

“My boys, they love skating, so I think there’s a lot of likeminded people and families out there that will bring their kids,” says Han Liu, President of Sky Castle. “So we’re betting on that”

Momentum appears to be growing, with the mall setting and breaking records for the highest amount of visitors numerous times within the past year.

The new area will also include a restaurant and bar. Ownership is hoping New Horizon can become a one-stop shop for entertainment experiences.

“We’ve grown exponentially over the years,” says Parsons. “Seventy-three new businesses approved this year, to date, and we just continue to grow”

The roller rink and arcade are set to open mid-July.