Jackson developers strike up business with bowling alley, bar

JACKSON, Mo.

ackson developers want to turn a former Wal-Mart building into a 20-lane bowling alley and sports bar.

But the operators of two area bowling alleys say there's little demand for more lanes and doubt it will do much to attract major tournaments to the area.

That hasn't deterred developers Jim and Tim Maevers and their father, Lester, who hope to open a sports bar and state-of-the-art bowling alley by next March.

They announced on Friday that they have purchased a four-building strip center on East Jackson Boulevard which includes the former Wal-Mart building. The Maevers bought the property from D and D Investments, a company operated by Charles, Jerry and Robert Drury. The purchase price wasn't disclosed for the 100,000 square feet of building space on 7.5 acres of land.

The site includes a little over an acre of undeveloped ground behind the strip shopping center which may be sold for construction of duplexes.

The strip center includes three operating businesses, including the Maevers' Save-A-Lot grocery store.

The easternmost building covers 29,700 square feet and housed a Wal-Mart store for more than two decades. That building has been vacant since the retail giant opened its Supercenter in Jackson three years ago.

'This is going to be beautiful'

The Maevers currently are talking to potential investors to help fund the bowling alley and sports bar project.

Real estate agent Ken Inman, who handled the transaction, welcomed the proposed development. "This is going to be beautiful when it is done," he said.

Jim Maevers said the construction work will cost about $1.6 million, with $900,000 of that slated to be spent to build the 20 bowling lanes and install the necessary equipment such a the automatic pin setters and the monitors that display bowlers' scores.

"What we're looking at is top of the line," said Maevers.

The entire bowling alley, including the lanes, would be on a single level. Bowlers would sit around tables mounted with score monitors as they waited for their turn to bowl.

The alley would have automatic bumpers that the customers could program to come up only when needed, allowing parents to bowl without the bumpers while their children bowl with the bumpers on the same lane.

The bowling alley would have several meeting rooms which could be used for birthday parties and a video arcade.

"I want to create a family atmosphere," said Maevers, who said there is a need for lanes for recreational bowlers.

"Recreational bowling is what is really growing," he said.

Operators of existing bowling alleys in Jackson and Cape Girardeau disagree. They say some of their lanes often go begging.

"We can't fill all of the lanes now at either place," said Jim Brown, manager of the 12-lane Jackson Bowling Lanes.

The same lament is heard at the 32-lane West Park Lanes in Cape Girar-deau. "Ours are not filled up," said general manager Darryl James.

It's harder and harder to attract new bowlers, he said. Many children are involved heavily in softball, soccer and other sports that leave no time for bowling, he said.

"There are so many other activities for kids to do," James said.

Brown said parents often don't have time to bowl because they are busy watching their children play other sports.

"Six or seven bowling alleys went out of business in St. Louis last year," Brown said.

Maevers believes a new bowling alley could help attract bowling tournaments to the area. Adding in West Park Lanes, there would be enough lanes to hold major tournaments, he said.

But Brown and James said even then it would be difficult to land major tournaments, including the men's and women's state tournaments.

Brown said his Jackson Lanes is too small to be a part of such tournaments.

As for Maevers, he's convinced a new bowling alley will attract plenty of players. With the right investors, he plans to prove it.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123