Property owner says Fern Valley Strike & Spare could become RaceTrac or Wawa

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The owner of the building that houses a popular Louisville bowling alley said it could become a gas station.

Fern Valley Strike & Spare announced Thursday it would be closing for good on Labor Day, Monday, Sept, 4, after 22 years in business.

The property owners said a gas station, like RaceTrac or Wawa, could take the bowling alley's place.

"We sold it to a developer to be one of the two, RaceTrac or Wawa," said building co-owner Chris Thieneman. "My father built the building 50 years ago, and it would've been really nice to keep it in the bowling business, but they couldn't afford it."

The building owners have a contract for a developer, but the city has to approve the development plans. That could take up to a year.

If the developer backs out, the owners said they would love to sell the building to the owners of Fern Valley Strike & Spare.

The bowling alley said it will reach out to scheduled events and leagues to discuss options moving forward.

When announcing the closure, the bowling alley's owners said they had come to an agreement with the property owner to extend their lease, but the property was sold "out from underneath us" before an official contract was signed.

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