Say It Ain’t So, Maple Lanes To Close

It looks as if Maple Lanes, our last remaining bowling alley will close its glass doors for good.

Co-owner Joe LaSpina sent out a letter to his staff stating that the bowling alley will be officially closed in 2014. The 52-year-old, 48-lane family business will be replaced with a condo complex and a synagogue.

LaSpina wrote that it was “a gut-wrenching” decision, according to Home Reporter News.

However, he also states that the new housing and synagogue would provide a “needed housing” for the burgeoning Jewish neighborhood of Borough Park, according to Curbed.

Architect Karl Fischer, is the architect slated to design the synagogue and 182 residencies, though artwork has yet to be released.

We reported way back when that many other local alleys were shutdown to make way for residential housing, according to a New York Times report published last year.

The plan to rezone the bowling alley space has been in development for some time. In fact, an application to rezone the area was submitted four years ago. It stated that instead of the bowling alley, the area would be used to build residential dwellings and a synagogue.

According to our previous article, “This would be consistent with an aim stated by City Councilman David Greenfield during last year’s debate to rezone the industrial areas south of 60th Street for residential housing.”

The project goes is a major topic at tonight’s Community Board 12 meeting, and for many emotions will run high.

There you have it folks, Maple Lanes at 1570 60th Street will mostly likely be gone to make room for more condos.