Want a bowling alley? Former Ottawa lanes will be auctioned Sunday

“There’s a lot that could be done with it if you use your imagination.”

—  Brian DeBolt from DeBolt Auction Services

After sitting empty since its closing in June 2019, Pinheadz Entertainment Center in Ottawa is going up for auction Sunday, April 25.

The building at 1758 Ottawa Ave. opened again Wednesday for an open house that allowed people in the building for the first time in nearly two years, including a younger man searching for a bowling bag he lost years ago.

Lady luck wasn’t with him, and he noted the lack of heat in the building would have caused the ball to crack anyway, as some of the balls left in the alley had cracked.

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An iconic bowling alley in Ottawa will be auctioned off this weekend. Pinheadz Entertainment Center bowling alley, tiki bar, and house on the property will be auctioned noon Sunday April 25, 2021. The bowling alley was formerly Dettore's West Lanes and owned by the Dettore family. (Scott Anderson)

Another group of men dropping by to reminisce old times said they recalled watching Hank Aaron break Major League Baseball’s home run record in that building, and one of them joked he bowled a 300 that same night.

The building has sat untouched except for some cleaning since its closure, and Brian DeBolt from DeBolt Auction Services said the water was shut off and drained to the best of the owner’s ability in April 2019.

The property is being split as part of the auction, with a $15,000 deposit required to obtain both the bowling alley and the grounds and a $5,000 deposit required for the house next door to the east. Both can be acquired together with a $20,000 deposit — and of course, the winning bid.

“It’s a good size building even if it’s not going to stay a bowling alley,” DeBolt said. “There’s a lot that could be done with it if you use your imagination.”

The alley comes with everything still in the building, although DeBolt is waiting to hear whether two vending machines get to stay. What’s included? 14 43-inch flat-screen televisions used for keeping score, a Numark lighting control system, the touch screen scoring system, the ball return, every ball left in the building, the equipment left over in the kitchen and all the equipment left over in the bar.

The Brunswick Bowling system stays as well, and it has a lifetime warranty.

A large parking lot, a tiki bar in the back garage and the sandpit used for volleyball tournaments also are included in the purchase for the bowling alley.

The home being auctioned is a one-bedroom home with a living room, full bath and basement.

Pinheadz originally opened as Dettore’s West Lanes and changed ownership in 2014 when it was purchased by Steve and Debbie Brykczynski, according to a 2019 Times article.

The building will be auctioned off at noon Sunday, and another open house is scheduled from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 24.