This story is developing. The information has been received by sources involved, but has not been confirmed as the sale is not yet final.
Rumors have been spreading over the past decade about Herrill Lanes and how it's been sitting on a prime piece of real estate in New Hyde Park, Long Island, New York for the better of 40 years. A few years back, talks about an impending sale hit an all-time high and when all was said and done, Richard Blau of Good Deeds Development gobbled up the property with plans to keep it as a bowling center, much to the delight of the Long Island Bowling Community. And Mr. Blau kept good on that promise for the past few years as, under the management of Joe Finck, leagues and tournaments have flourished primarily. Unfortunately, it seems all of that work may be for naught.
Sources with direct knowledge of and affiliated with the situation have confirmed that Bowl 360, led by Danny Mohabir, have put in a "significant" offer for Herrill Lanes and word is the offer has been accepted and will be closing some time this week. Mohabir confirmed via Facebook messenger that he had "attempted to buy this property a year ago," and sources are confirming that at this point, the sale may be imminent. I am being told, however, that there is a sticking point holding up the deal and that it would take Mohabir 60-90 days to remedy the issue. The offer put in by Mohabir is said to be "upwards of $7M," which would be significantly more than the $4.8M paid by Blau for the center in 2021.
The purchase itself, of course, is only a small piece of the puzzle, as the real question is what will Mohabir and his team do with the current site if the purchase goes through. In the FB messenger conversation mentioned above, Mohabir said that, "we always convert our model to all locations we purchase," confirming that, again, if the sale goes through, Herrill Lanes would be converted into an entertainment center/bowling alley, complete with video games, lights, etc., much like the Bowlero model.
Mohabir also stated that, "we {will be} keeping leagues and the pro shop, and we will have open play," so those of you who have been loyal customers of Tommy Delutz Pro Shop located inside the center should be able to rest easy. And while it seems some leagues may be staying, Mohabir said, "if tournaments make sense on the designated times we will have them," so mainstays such as Steven Sanders of the LIGBT may also need to find a new home for his tournaments (as well as a few of the Bowlage Tournaments). Mohabir however did not confirm which leagues would be staying, and so some of the smaller ones, especially if they coincide with popular open play times, may be put on the backburner, though this is just speculation. Mohabir did say that he will be, "upgrading the entire facility as our goal is to keep bowling, " so for those of you concerned that it will be turned into some other type of business, as he has done with his previous purchases (Bowl 360 Astoria, Bowl 360 Ozone Park, etc.), it seems bowling will remain as his focal point.
Current employees of the center expect to hear from Mohabir this week on their future, assuming the sale is finalized.
More on this story as it develops...
