Is Western Bowl closing?

P

Prof912

Active member
I have heard, from several sources, that Western Bowl will be closed sometime this year and that the structure will be razed in order to build a strip mall.

Has anyone else heard this rumor? Anyone with additional information that you can share? What will happen to the bowling teams (Elder, Seton, Oak Hills and West High) that use this facility?
 
 
This rumor is true. Regarding the bowling teams, I imagine they will be displaced just as the rest of the loyal league bowlers. Where they will go, I know not.

It's truly a sad day to see such a west side icon being torn down.
 
is anyone actually in there? it looks like a morgue? except for the fruit stands in front of the place. PLEASE TEAR THIS EYESORE DOWN
 
I was at the college tournament today at Western Bowl and overheard someone say that the official closing date will be May 1st. Can anyone confirm that?
 
After having a great time at the Yappi Farewell to Western Bowl Night, I got to thinking. They should just knockdown half the lanes while preserving a piece of the history. Then the portion that has be destroyed could be sold off for some other purposes and the money made from that sale could be used to refinance and refurbish the side that still remains.

It seems to me that in todays communities, the smaller bowling alleys have better business because they have less maintenance and overhead. Plus, the smaller the bowling alley is, the harder it is to find available lanes.

Crossgates on Hunt Road is a prime example. Smaller is better in this case.:shrug:
 
Dlove said:
After having a great time at the Yappi Farewell to Western Bowl Night, I got to thinking. They should just knockdown half the lanes while preserving a piece of the history. Then the portion that has be destroyed could be sold off for some other purposes and the money made from that sale could be used to refinance and refurbish the side that still remains.

It seems to me that in todays communities, the smaller bowling alleys have better business because they have less maintenance and overhead. Plus, the smaller the bowling alley is, the harder it is to find available lanes.

Crossgates on Hunt Road is a prime example. Smaller is better in this case.:shrug:
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The last rumur I heard was along these lines. The thought is to keep 16 of the lanes open under new owners and name, then convert the remainder of the space to retail or offices, if I recall correctly. This would include tearing down General Custer's. I do not know the validity of what I heard, but thought I'd just throw it out there.
 
Best in the West said:
The last rumur I heard was along these lines. The thought is to keep 16 of the lanes open under new owners and name, then convert the remainder of the space to retail or offices, if I recall correctly. This would include tearing down General Custer's. I do not know the validity of what I heard, but thought I'd just throw it out there.
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Sounds good to me. Those retail stores may bring more customers to the smaller version of Western Bowl.
 
The new owner of Western Bowl is from Tennessee and owns multiple bowling centers (somewhere between 10-15 other establishments). I believe the Hoinke family is still running Western Bowl until the financing goes through. From what I understand the new owner won't have trouble attaining the financing it is the merger of National City and PNC that has slowed the process down.

At present the new owner plans to keep all 68 lanes however the word I got was that, in the future, he does want to take out a number of lanes to put in a sports bar. I have also heard that he may want to take out the pool hall and put in a coffee shop.
 
Update ... sort of.

http://www.wlwt.com/sports/20079775/detail.html

CINCINNATI -- A landmark bowling alley on the city's west side will change hands Friday, but Western Bowl will remain open.

Its fate was in doubt earlier this year, but Larry Schmitt, of Nashville, has added the bowling alley to his chain called Strike and Spare.

"This center is known throughout bowling from coast to coast," said Schmitt, who owned Reds minor league teams so valued by former owner Marge Schott that she gave him a 1990 World Series ring. "If it's working already we don't throw it aside, we keep the things that's working and add to it."

Western Bowl, which opened in 1958 with 68 lanes, serves as the home of the Hoinke Classic bowling tournament, which draws bowlers from all over the world during its seven-month run.

Schmitt plans to host a limited version of the tournament this fall, after the transfer forced its cancellation earlier this year, but he also plans to keep the alley open longer and offer youth programs.

He also intends to remove one bar and add a restaurant, take out the video games and put in an arcade.

But one thing will remain the same, Schmitt promised.

"That sign will stay there," he said. "It's kind of a landmark."
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