Mayor betting on bowling alley remodel to bring night life to West Capitol Avenue
Published: Monday, Apr. 25, 2011 - 12:00 am | Page 1B
West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon is pinning his hopes on a bowling alley remodel to help rejuvenate West Capitol Avenue.
The stretch of former Highway 40 is being transformed into the city's new main street. A sleek community center and a bustling college campus now share a block with City Hall. Wide sidewalks, landscaping and a public-transit center help complete the picture.
But the cleaned-up avenue, once a notorious haunt of drug dealers and prostitutes, is a little short on nightlife these days.
That's where Capitol Bowl comes in, Cabaldon said.
"It's going to bring energy to our new boulevard," the mayor said.
Starting today, the 1950s-era bowling alley, orginally part of the posh El Rancho Hotel complex, will be remodeled from dingy and dated to retro and cool.
A swank U-shaped bar will replace the current dark dive. Outdoor seating around a fire pit promises to enhance the hipster factor on West Capitol Avenue.
"We want to keep the funkiness and lose the dive bar," said manager Chris White.
Owner Ross Amin, who bought the alley 12 years ago, has already replaced the 20 lanes, pins and seating. The restrooms have been gussied up. And a stylish concrete floor replaced ugly tile.
Now the big work begins: knocking out water-stained walls, raising plastic foam ceilings and getting rid of the rest of the pink-and-blue tile.
The facade will get a face-lift, with metal and stone replacing drab concrete.
The bowling alley will stay open while the $600,000 renovation moves forward.
Amin and White said they're hoping to have the rennovations done in time for the annual Lebowski Fest in August, when fans from across the region pay homage to the bowling-noir movie "The Big Lebowski."
Capitol Bowl has a "kind of cult following from both sides of the river," said Denice Seals, president of the West Sacramento Chamber of Commerce.
On Thursday, about two dozen patrons – from hard-core bowlers to families with young children – turned out for the daily lunch special: two games, shoe rental and a burger or sandwich with fries for $11.
Display screens overhead flashed messages at bowlers. "Mick Jagger and Keith Richards bowled here in the 1970s when it was El Rancho Bowl," read one.
Marla Clayton, 36, of West Sacramento spent the lunch hour bowling with her son Tyler, 10, and friend Jay Johnson, 31. She's been coming there for years, she said.
"It's got more atmosphere than just a bowling alley," Clayton said. "It's small enough that it's always going to keep that family feel."
On Friday there was a party to celebrate the remodel and raise funds for the Special Olympics.
Cabaldon said he's hoping the renovation, partly paid for with a city redevelopment loan, can help jump-start the business activity – shops, restaurants and entertainment venues – that planners envision along West Capitol.
"We've had a lot of public investment on West Capitol," Cabaldon said. "We've set the stage for private investment on the boulevard."
"This," he said, standing outside the bowling alley, "is a critical component."
But the cleaned-up avenue, once a notorious haunt of drug dealers and prostitutes, is a little short on nightlife these days.
That's where Capitol Bowl comes in, Cabaldon said.
"It's going to bring energy to our new boulevard," the mayor said.
Starting today, the 1950s-era bowling alley, orginally part of the posh El Rancho Hotel complex, will be remodeled from dingy and dated to retro and cool.
A swank U-shaped bar will replace the current dark dive. Outdoor seating around a fire pit promises to enhance the hipster factor on West Capitol Avenue.
"We want to keep the funkiness and lose the dive bar," said manager Chris White.
Owner Ross Amin, who bought the alley 12 years ago, has already replaced the 20 lanes, pins and seating. The restrooms have been gussied up. And a stylish concrete floor replaced ugly tile.
Now the big work begins: knocking out water-stained walls, raising plastic foam ceilings and getting rid of the rest of the pink-and-blue tile.
The facade will get a face-lift, with metal and stone replacing drab concrete.
The bowling alley will stay open while the $600,000 renovation moves forward.
Amin and White said they're hoping to have the rennovations done in time for the annual Lebowski Fest in August, when fans from across the region pay homage to the bowling-noir movie "The Big Lebowski."
Capitol Bowl has a "kind of cult following from both sides of the river," said Denice Seals, president of the West Sacramento Chamber of Commerce.
On Thursday, about two dozen patrons – from hard-core bowlers to families with young children – turned out for the daily lunch special: two games, shoe rental and a burger or sandwich with fries for $11.
Display screens overhead flashed messages at bowlers. "Mick Jagger and Keith Richards bowled here in the 1970s when it was El Rancho Bowl," read one.
Marla Clayton, 36, of West Sacramento spent the lunch hour bowling with her son Tyler, 10, and friend Jay Johnson, 31. She's been coming there for years, she said.
"It's got more atmosphere than just a bowling alley," Clayton said. "It's small enough that it's always going to keep that family feel."
On Friday there was a party to celebrate the remodel and raise funds for the Special Olympics.
Cabaldon said he's hoping the renovation, partly paid for with a city redevelopment loan, can help jump-start the business activity – shops, restaurants and entertainment venues – that planners envision along West Capitol.
"We've had a lot of public investment on West Capitol," Cabaldon said. "We've set the stage for private investment on the boulevard."
"This," he said, standing outside the bowling alley, "is a critical component."
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