The Fort Monmouth Bowling Center at 1301 Avenue of Memories in Eatontown — Courtesy: Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority
By Joshua Burd
A local developer has acquired a former bowling center at Fort Monmouth and is now preparing to renovate and reopen the facility as a new entertainment venue, state officials said.
The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, which oversees the redevelopment of the historic former Army base, said Parker Creek Partners is set to break ground this week on its rehabilitation of the building at 1301 Avenue of Memories in Eatontown. The buyer’s plans call for rehabilitating the original facility to include 20 lanes for bowling and incorporate other entertainment and recreation features, including a full-service restaurant, bocce courts, pool tables, shuffleboard and several private party rooms.
FMERA’s sale to the Rumson-based developer occurred on March 31, the agency said. The venue, which sits on 2.5 acres near the center of Fort Monmouth’s Main Post in Eatontown, will be known as Alley at the Fort.
“We determined the best of use of this building was to restore it to its original use as a bowling alley,” said Mikaela Milano, co-owner and operator of the venue. “We are modernizing the 17,600-square-foot facility and adding an expansion to include a full-service restaurant and two party rooms to accommodate current demand.”
In a news release, FMERA said the project is near other planned entertainment and retail uses on the shuttered base, which closed in 2011 and spans more than 1,000 acres. Those uses include a facility known as the Loft at a former dance hall, the Fort Athletic Club and the former Expo Theater, which is planned for redevelopment as an active recreation space.
“The redevelopment of the Bowling Center breathes new life into an outdated property that once served as a center of entertainment for those stationed at Fort Monmouth,” FMERA Executive Director Bruce Steadman said. “It also is part of a nexus of entertainment uses that contribute to an amenity base for new residents on the Fort and the community at large.”
The venues will serve a population include residents of several new projects that have opened at the fort in recent years, including East Gate and Liberty Walk by RPM development in Oceanport and Anthem Place by Lennar in Tinton Falls, the agency said. Several others are in various stages of development, including Patriots Square by Lennar in Tinton Falls.
“We are excited about the redevelopment plan Parker Creek Partners is undertaking,” FMERA Marketing and Development Manager Sarah Giberson said. “A lot of memories have been made at the Fort’s Bowling Center, so we look forward to the rebirth of this incredible family entertainment venue, complete with amenities that the community desires.”
