By Helen Klein
There won’t be a bowler to spare at the next Community Board 10 meeting. Because of the grass-roots effort to preserve Mark Lanes, 423 88th Street, the next CB 10 meeting — which is going to be held on February 27th at 7:15 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus, 1305 86th Street — is expected to draw numerous people who want to see the bowling center remain open in the face of efforts by Century 21 Department Store to take over the property. The 86th Street department store has indicated its interest in erecting a three-story garage that would accommodate 280 cars, and also include a floor of selling space on the property where the bowling alley now sits. According to Jennifer Beshara, the manager of Mark Lanes and the daughter of the bowling center owner, the bowling center has six years remaining on their lease. However, she said, the department store has been trying to force them out by this summer. “They want to pay us out for the remainder of the lease, and they want us out by August first,” she reported. “I don’t know how to get these people off our backs. They’ve been trying to get us out for a while now, and we’ve been prolonging it. It gets to a point where you don’t want to put up with them any longer but you don’t want to give up either.” Clearly, Beshara is not giving up. Rather, the message that their presence could make a difference is being broadcast to the bowling faithful. At the lanes, flyers asking for a showing of support at the board meeting are piled high at the front desk. In addition, a sign has been suspended above the lanes enjoining those who utilize the facility to “Help Us Save Mark Lanes” by signing the petition and speaking out at the community board meeting. Lots of people had indicated that they would be attending the community board meeting, said Beshara. “I’ve been telling everybody to come to the community board meeting,” she noted. “I have people coming up to me telling me they are going to support us, whatever we need.” Among these, Beshara added, are members of bowling leagues, school bowling groups and even the Guild for Exceptional Children, whose clients bowl at Mark Lanes. “I think I’m going to get a crowd,” Beshara noted. “As many people as can get there, the better,” she added. In addition, Beshara said that petitions at the front desk have already racked up 3,000 signatures, in about a week and a half. This is on top of the on-line petition started by bowler Tom Brice, who said he was motivated by fondness for the bowling center where he has spent so much time. “I’ve been here half my life bowling,” Brice remarked. “Nobody wants us to go,” added Beshara. “Where are the kids going to go? We don’t want kids hanging out in bars. That’s all that’s around.” Century 21’s plans for the property came to light last December, when representatives of the store approached Community Board 10 with a preview of their proposal, which was first reported in this paper. While they could build a parking facility for about 140 cars as of right, in order to build a structure that would accommodate approximately 280 cars, as well as a floor of selling space, the store would require some sort of zoning relief, which would be required to go through a lengthy process and be approved by various levels of government. No proposal of Century 21 will be in front of the board at its February meeting, said Josephine Beckmann, the board’s district manager. “There is no agenda item about the bowling alley,” she remarked. “We have not yet received a formal proposal from Century 21. Certainly, we have a public session, and anyone is free to speak about any issue in the community.”
