Whitestone Lanes, a more than two decade-old beloved Flushing, Queens, bowling alley which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week may be shuttered and pinned for a major development.
Mar Mar Realty, a family business that owns the property and the bowling alley business, has listed the one-story, 37,000-square-foot building at 30-05 Whitestone Expressway and a 43,000-square-foot parking lot for $60 million.
The building, between Linden Place and Farrington Street, sits on an 80,000-square-foot site. Pending a Department of City Planning zoning change from manufacturing to commercial and residential use, the site could accommodate a 386,000-square-foot mixed-use development, according to Cushman & Wakefield, which is marketing the property. The bowling alley was once called the “holy grail of bowling” in a New York Times article. It was also featured in an episode of the Netflix show Daredevil, according to IMDb.
The $60 million figure is based on a price of $155 per buildable square foot, listing broker Stephen Preuss of C&W told CO. He added that that is a bargain considering that Long Island City, Queens, sites are asking $250 per square foot.
As for why Mar Mar Realty is selling the site, Mr. Preuss said: It “is a private family that has owned it for decades. They are looking to exit that market and cash out.” A representative of Mar Mar Realty declined to speak to the Commercial Observer.
37 comments:
Shoot. There goes the right turn parking lot short-cut avoiding the red light onto Linden Place.
If it's worth 60 million Flushing airport must be worth Billions!!
Probably. I'm shocked there are any bowling alleys left within 30 miles of NYC.
So lets get this straight, the resources (read our taxes) are being used to effect a zoning change that gets a community landmark destroyed and its owners cash out big time, a broker tells the public, in essence to go f*k yourself and the overseers of the public good, our electeds have their heads stuck up their arse with the prospect of even more development crowding our cities and taxing our infrastructure.
No more bowling league?
What excuse can I use to go out drinkin'?
That Whitestone Expressway service road and intersection are so congested, noisy, and extremely dangerous. Who would want to live or open a business there?
there is at least one expensive alley in Manhattan, but almost no one plays bowling anymore
Anonymous said...
That Whitestone Expressway service road and intersection are so congested, noisy, and extremely dangerous. Who would want to live or open a business there?
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What about the people who live in the area now? Is any consideration being given to the fact that the property is in a sensitive location? Who'd want to live or do business there? Just look at downtown Flushing!!! Now it's coming to a community near you! Stick a fork in north Flushing. It's done. By the way, has there been any feedback from the local elected officials or the community board? Maybe they're too busy enlarging their pockets...if ya catch my meaning.
Yep, more of the same. Cashing in, cashing out, leaving the whole area with nothing, but a big mess.
No transportation infrastructure, cars everywhere.
The people that live in the area aren't even considered.
Sad and outrageous.
All this started with the Vallones in Astoria and has simply metastasized throughout Queens.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
That entire part of FRUSHING has become a congested third world shit hole. All day long and into the evening the traffic is one giant grid locked mess. Doesn't anyone care? Doesn't anyone see what is happening? When I have to drive from my business in College Pt to Flushing and back again it now takes OVER AN HOUR at times. How much worse will still be acceptable?
Jib Lanes is still around, and lots of fun. Check it out.
"All this started with the Vallones in Astoria and has simply metastasized throughout Queens."
HUH!?
Well, looks like Chuck the Buck and Mean Gene are going to have a Merry Xmas!!!
Peter Koo! Where are you?
Van Wyck lanes has been gone for a few years. Great memories of bowling there in high school. For sure America was a better country back then. Not a doubt! I can still remember the inside layout and sometimes it appears in my dreams.
Woodhaven bowling alley became a Bob's Furniture store.
Bowling is a dying sport in the five boroughs and it's sad to see them go.
I miss Kissena Lanes. Now of course a subdivided mess.
The last time I went to Whitestone Lanes was on a weekend. We had to wait an hour for a lane. Please explain how it's a dying sport. Maybe you should leave your cave once in a while.
@Ca
When driving on Van Wyck going north, sometimes Northern Blvd looks like a Christmas tree, huge backups, slow traffic, congestion.
I feel sorry for the folks who are stuck in that mess!
The scam artist politicos will introduce congestion pricing after the areas are fully saturated, so is a win win situation - for them.
Probably global climate change will be mentioned (of course) to take even more money from the crowds under the disguise of environmental concerns.
Huge scam.
Care about the environment? start with the tolls!
Millions of cars on a daily bases stuck at bridges, tunnels and their answer is Easy Pass. Yeah right.
"Maybe you should leave your cave once in a while."
First of all I don't live in a cave wise guy.
Second, Whitestone Lanes might of been crowed but did you think why ?
News alert, News alert - Many of the others where closed down !
Americana lanes in Ozone Park is still there but it's called cozy bowl,a dumb name which sounds like cushioned toilet, but it's still good and has a bar with decent prices, one year they had lebowski fest. Although the last time I was there the alley was blasting music like it was a nite club and it was impossible to talk. They were probably trying to imitate the obnoxious atmosphere of the bowlmor and 360 lanes in manhattan (there are actually 3 alleys in Manhattan, all on the west side in the 40's, the neotourists from middle america still bowls it seems.)
Anonymous said...
"Maybe you should leave your cave once in a while."
First of all I don't live in a cave wise guy.
Second, Whitestone Lanes might of been crowed but did you think why ?
News alert, News alert - Many of the others where closed down !
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Looks like someone struck a nerve. lol.
The person making this comment has a lot to learn about spelling and grammar. And the point is...? If other bowling alleys are closing, doesn't that make the few remaining open lanes even more valuable? Just sayin...
HUH?
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Everything is the vallones' fault, ya big silly. You must be new to the neighborhood.
Yes, bowling is less popular than it used to be.
Yes, a lot of people still go bowling.
Not contradictory statements. Are we clear now?
If other bowling alleys are closing, doesn't that make the few remaining open lanes even more valuable?
"has listed the one-story, 37,000-square-foot building at....$60 million"
How valuable could that be? How many years would it take for a thriving bowling alley to make $60 mil? How much could the existing business be sold for? Probably a small fraction of that.
Yes, it sucks.
Who'd want to live or do business there?
Um, Whitestone Lanes?
Is any consideration being given to the fact that the property is in a sensitive location?
What's so sensitive about it? It's an expressway service road.
What's so sensitive about it? It's an expressway service road.
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Obviously you were never there or you'd know that the intersection of Linden Place and the northbound Whitestone service road are already over-congested, especially during rush hours.
Sure it's congested during rush hour like pretty much all the major highways and highway ramps throughout this city. Just because this is the exit that you happen to use does not qualify it as a "sensitive location".
Just think of how much they could make if they redevelop the shipping center next door. Ten high rise condos, shopping at street level...delightful.
Sure it's congested during rush hour like pretty much all the major highways and highway ramps throughout this city. Just because this is the exit that you happen to use does not qualify it as a "sensitive location".
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Did your parents have any children who weren't born brain dead?
Yummy, yummy! An underutilized property.
You bet it will be a major development.
And what a traffic tie up will become even more magnified.
Hmmmm.....let's name it the Linden Street tangle!
Sadly, this is the new NY. The days of the 'suburban' outer-borough nabes are numbered. The m.o. now is to cram in as many people as possible. Why have so many Whitestones when you can have midtown Manhattan across all five boroughs! I'm sure it will be affordable!!
Shame, Bowling is part of Queens heritage. One by one they are all going down. Myself and 2 friends painted the interior and whole ceiling of Whitestone lanes some time around 1982.
Did your parents have any children who weren't born brain dead?
If a high density development shouldn't be right next to a highway, where should it be? That's right, nowhere. Good luck with that.
Bowling died in the fifties
"Bowling died in the fifties"
So did your brain cells!
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