Skate Escape has new owners with big plans for the longstanding Midtown Atlanta skate and bike shop.
A partnership involving former employee Wade Thompson and business partner Michael Chanin has acquired the business with plans to renovate, according to a Thursday story by Midtown Alliance.
Improvements will include repairs to the main building at the property, which is located at the northwestern corner of 12th Street and Piedmont Avenue at 1086 Piedmont Ave., and a new yet undetermined use at the property’s other building, 1094 Piedmont, according to the post.
Skate Escape’s buildings and land have been on and off the market since 2019, when owners Janice Phillips and Bob Orlowski decided to retire. Skate Escape first opened at the site in 1979.
The property was acquired in separate December transactions totaling $2.65 million by 12th & Piedmont LLC, a business registered to Chanin, according to county property records and state business filings.
In addition to a repainted exterior, changes to Skate Escape and its store will include a new logo, beautified landscape, and, eventually, a mini-park, among other improvements, according to Midtown Alliance.
The Midtown organization also reports that the site’s bike shop will take the name Common Bicycles, per the new ownership’s plans.
