CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Walk up the stairs to the fourth floor of the historic Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, 12 S. Michigan Avenue, open the double doors of the original Stagg Court and you'll see a piece of history.
"It fell into foreclosure during the recession and sat empty for five years. We grabbed it in 2012 and spent 2 1/2 years converting it into a boutique hotel," Hatton said.
At first when his creative team suggested they transform Stagg Court into a roller rink, Hatton admits he was skeptical.
"At first I was 100 percent against doing roller skating in the Stagg Court, but my team talked me into it. The first day we did it, before I saw it in action, I said we're doing this once and we're not doing it again," he recalled. "Then when I saw the session in action and the smiles on people's faces, the general enthusiasm changed my mind immediately. We got really great feedback. We knew this experience wasn't available anywhere downtown."
The rink is sectional and is set up and stored four times a year.
"It's a ton of fun. Everyone has memories of roller skating. Giving this little piece of nostalgia to the locals and to the people who keep coming back is great," he said.
For more information and tickets to the next Skate Session, visit the event website.