Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

[Ron Whitfield]

Local author/cultural archeologist recently photodoc'ed what's left of the interior and spoke with informed personel, finding out there's the possibility of a benefactor willing to restore the venue. But it aches the question as to if it's a viable venture. Bowling is fading, there's only so much you can diverse within the confines to drum up more $, and younger patrons are done with such activities that could be provided. Is there a future for the BOD even with $$$?

[anapuni808]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

Ron, could you please provide a source or some sort of documentation about your posting? you do this all the time and its very confusing for folks who might like to comment or follow up. There is really no good reason to be so vague when you start a thread and it might help to start a better discussion. Which I assume was your purpose in starting the thread in the first place?

Thanks!

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

What part did you not comprehend? What more should have been said?
You could have benefitted the discussion by itemizing points of interest/concern.
I did omit the author's name, Phillip Roberts, but that forgetfulness didn't matter.
The point is about the viability of restoration, pretty simple.

[Amati]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

What part did you not comprehend? What more should have been said?

Speaking for myself, it is not that I did "not comprehend" what was written. It is that very little was written to take off from. What more could have been said? The source. Some of us like to have a bit of background info before we choose to make comments. Any additional information you can offer up in an initial post helps the rest of us to respond.

You could have benefitted the discussion by itemizing points of interest/concern.

It seems his point of interest/concern was the vegueness of initial information offered, which can make it more difficult to give replys.

I did omit the author's name, Phillip Roberts, but that forgetfulness didn't matter.

Ok, the name is useful, but it did not lead to anything I could find when googling. And besides the author, a source how you learned the information (article, public meeting, personal discussion?) would be useful. I did find old information online about the State's lease prices, and the deteriorated building, and possible environmental hazards on the site. And this July 2011 article:

Land swap

For Lockwood, an important aspect of Moiliili's revitalization would be the expansion of Old Stadium Park by acquiring from the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands the adjacent nearly 2-acre site on which the long-closed Stadium Bowl-O-Drome sits, in a land swap with the city. The Bowl-O-Drome land would be used for a community swimming pool, Lockwood said.

The point is about the viability of restoration, pretty simple.

Sure, if you want to just "make a point", then you did. But if you want to open the point up for discussion, then adding more than a few loose opening sentences would help us to do so.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

At the time this article was written, the lease rent DHHL set for the plot of land that Bowl-O-Drome sits on was $1.2 million a year.

Simply put, there's no viable commercial use for that old, dilapidated building.

The only way, shape and form for bowling to ever return there is part of a totally new, updated multi-purpose entertainment complex that would attract families rather than bowling leagues primarily consisting of retirees. And even then, that's a long-shot.

More likely, a developer will build retail/office space there.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

There's not much more I can contribute, but here's the net hilite of my day http://www.tikiroom.com/tikicentral/...&start=375&389

[scrivener]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

It seems his point of interest/concern was the vegueness of initial information offered, which can make it more difficult to give replys.

Her. Her point of interest/concern. But I'm with you on the rest of it.

[anapuni808]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

well gee, Scrivener - you didn't need to "out" me like that. I was just going to let it go & stay incognito.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

No wonder this forum is a friggin ghost town.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

Bowling is fading, there's only so much you can diverse within the confines to drum up more $, and younger patrons are done with such activities that could be provided. Is there a future for the BOD even with $$$?

On the mainland, the activity of bowling is actually having a revival of sorts. It's just that the demographics of bowlers have changed. And with it, the newer bowling venues has changed to accomodate this evolving market. This article does a good job of further elaborating what I was talking about when I earlier referred to family entertainment complexes.

What we see today are two distinctly different types of bowling centers. There's the fast-dying old style bowling alleys of yesteryear, compared to the new, contemporary designed centers that cater to the open-play customer. These include the new adult-oriented bowling lounges and bowling-based multi-anchored family or adult entertainment centers.

Since the younger generation of bowlers are more into casually playing once-in-a-while with family and friends rather than religiously coming down to the alley at the same day and time every week as part of a league, the new bowling centers have to offer more than just the lanes, a pro shop, a few pinball machines, and a snack bar. The modern day centers also offer activities like billiards, darts, laser-tag, a video game arcade, and a full-service restaurant. That is the current trend of the bowling alleys being built now, but we haven't seen it here locally. At least, not yet. But if an investor does have such an idea in mind, can you see why the Bowl-O-Drome building (designed as a standalone bowling alley) can't be used to house this kind of business?

Now if you're gonna be a hardcore preservationist about the BOD like you have been about the Natatorium, then guess what? Like the Nat, the Bowl-O-Drome will continue to sit vacant indefinitely and will deteriorate to the point that it becomes a real eyesore and a safety hazard.

Ironically, the best way to at least partially preserve the memory of the BOD is by building a brand new bowling/entertainment center that could incorporate remnants from the past, like the mural.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

On the mainland, the activity of bowling is actually having a revival of sorts. It's just that the demographics of bowlers have changed. And with it, the newer bowling venues has changed to accomodate this evolving market.

Very true. Sadly, the revival was not in time to save some of the true classic retro-type alleys; so many have been destroyed. Yet, the newly-designed spaces do appeal to the people discovering bowling and draw more of them in, so there's a trade-off. The sport survives while the old spaces do not.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

Very true. Sadly, the revival was not in time to save some of the true classic retro-type alleys; so many have been destroyed. Yet, the newly-designed spaces do appeal to the people discovering bowling and draw more of them in, so there's a trade-off. The sport survives while the old spaces do not.

This is not dissimilar to some of the aging baseball parks, football stadiums, and basketball arenas that have been razed over the last decade or so. Yes, the older venues offer nostalgia and houses memories of historic games. But make no mistake: pro sports franchises are a business. In order to compete for the public's entertainment dollar, the teams have to play their games in facilities that offer the latest in creature comforts, convenience, state-of-the-art scoreboards, luxury boxes, etc.

Bowling centers are also businesses that have to make themselves attractive and relevant to the more upscale patrons of today, rather than the blue-collar market of yesteryear.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

Ironically, the best way to at least partially preserve the memory of the BOD is by building a brand new bowling/entertainment center that could incorporate remnants from the past, like the mural.

Tear down something old and the cool factor goes with it, the new thing means nearly nothing. The vintage equipment is part of it all, and the mural is virtually impossible to save.
I appreciate what you've said, and know just like the Nat, chances are slim anything positive will occur. Such is our cavalier disposal of our irreplaceable cultural histories.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

Tear down something old and the cool factor goes with it, the new thing means nearly nothing. The vintage equipment is part of it all, and the mural is virtually impossible to save.

FWIW, the last time I frequented the BOD, it was operating with a Cosmic Bowl theme. What you see as "vintage equipment" was in reality, run-down machinery. A few of the lanes were taped off because the pinsetters were out of commission.

I'm no art expert. But the Lionel Walden mural in the Hawaii Theatre was in a pretty bad state of decay, with a whole section of the painting collapsing from the proscenium. They were able to execute a magnificent restoration of that work. If they can do the same for the BOD mural, that would literally be the only thing in the entire building that is worth saving.

The recreation industry is notoriously unkind to facilities that are old and has outlived its usefulness. Even the legendary 106 lane bowling alley at the former Showboat Hotel & Casino in Vegas ended up getting demolished a few years ago. And that place had a heckuva lot more history than the BOD.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Bowl-O-Drome renovation?

The pin setters were '60-'70s vintage, nothing great, but the '50s era ball galleys are a perfect example of those now-quaint days. The place still retains much of the old visage dispite being a 'barn' of a building, and for those who care we're left with finger crossing that the interested benefactor can pull off the impossible. Obviously, someone besides me saw the worth of saving it.