Baltimore’s Shake and Bake Family Fun Center is back after it received a $330,000 face lift.
Brand new neon-orange roller skates glide across the freshly renovated wooden rink. Mayor Catherine Pugh, who was sharply criticized for closing the deteriorating facility last year, was there for the reopening.
“When I shut it down you’d thought I shut down heaven," said Pugh.
Glenn Doughty, also known as Shake and Bake, the former Baltimore Colts wide receiver who opened the center in 1982, thanked Pugh and the Department of Parks and Recreation for bringing a fresh vision to the historic facility.
“Being able to be in this facility in 2018 is all about God because God makes dreams come true," said Doughty.
Pugh reaffirmed her commitment to revitalizing the city’s neighborhoods.
“And still in some parts of our city we don’t have the kind of entertainment that we should have in our neighborhoods and our communities," said Pugh.
Reginald Moore, the director of the department, says the money to rebuild the facility went towards the new HVAC system, skates, flooring, restrooms, and kitchen. Facility rooms can be rented out for children’s birthday parties. Admission to the rink is $5 and renting skates is $3.
Shake and Bake will also be opening their bowling alley soon. Reginald Moore says the department is still waiting for bids on the cost of the renovation.