Fairlanes City

[Carl D]

Hi, everyone.

I was just wondering if anyone had any information on what exactly happened with Fairlanes City? As most of you probably know, I was a mechanic there for 18 years.

Previous threads about this are here and here.

The bowl was supposed to have been demolished last July along with the old ABC radio and TV studios next door to make way for 9 buildings comprising 192 apartments with 4 commercial buildings.

Well, as many of you are no doubt aware, the bowl is still there and the lanes and machines are still inside, probably covered in an inch of dust by now. It has been sold to the developers as far as I know and the developer's web site shows it as a 'Future Project'. At the moment, Wilson Parking are using the upper and lower carparks to sell $2 an hour parking.

I believe someone was approached towards the end of last year about the possibility of re-opening the bowl on a temporary basis, but, since 8 of the 12 ball returns have been removed (gone to Bunbury, I believe) and the airconditioning units were removed and scrapped early last year plus everything else (cafe, office, etc.) that could be sold was sold at auction in January last year it would be a very expensive exercise to re-open the bowl so it looks like it isn't ever going to happen.

I heard someone from Victoria (I think) was looking at buying just the 24 Brunswick 'A' pinsetters a few months back but I don't know if he's still going ahead with it.

Bit of a shame really, the bowl could probably have been kept open for another 2 years at least. Something must have gone wrong with the finance or the plans? And, the last I heard, the ABC site next to the bowl hadn't been sold, it was still owned by the Federal Government and the Adelaide Terrace part is heritage listed so it can't be demolished anyway.

Very strange...

 

[baron]

Sounds like you might be a little home sick there Carl. Baron

 

[The Real Deal]

Seems as you know everything...

 

[Carl D]

Sounds like you might be a little home sick there Carl. Baron

Hi, Greg.

I think the word should be institutionalized, like the old librarian, Brooks Hatlen in The Shawshank Redemption.

Click, and scroll down to "Brooks Hatlen".

Brooks is afraid of life outside of Shawshank, as he has become institutionalized.

Just kidding.

Hi, Clinton.

 

[Murderdoll]

yeah I always wondered what was happening to the building.

It would be awesome if someone bought it and re-opened it. Easily the best centre with the best staff in Perth imo.

 

[pudl]

hi carl
this is paula and brett we used to see you heaps at fairlanes and all the other guys , what happened to alan skupin? does anyone know where he is now and what he is doing , any way how are you carl have`nt seen ya for years, or anyone for that matter we miss fairlanes so much what a sad thing to happen would love to hear from you or anyone from fairlanes see ye paula and brett

 

[jockey]

Carl

Projects this big take a lot of time to dot the i's and cross the t's on in order to be able to proceed. I guess the people who bought it decided that the revenue gained from having someone operate on the premises was not worth the hassle (tenancy, insurance for public liability on surrounds etc). Besides from the sounds of the size of the project the revenue generated from the centre still operating would have been a pittance and also could have caused delays to the start of construction as contracts with the tenants would have to be signed.

You will find that they probably have got plans in place to offload the rest of the equipment or it may already have been sold and the new owners are just waiting to have it removed. If not it will be removed during the demolition of the building.

I like you are sad to see Fairlanes is no more as I thought it was one of the best centres in the country and the Perth Cup is sadly missed by the eastern staters as it was one of the best run events in the country.

 

[TechP_8270]

Was fairlanes Brunswick A's or converted A-2s? i heard that they stripped some machines and parts were sold to other centres... can anyone verify that?
Cheers.

 

[Carl D]

Was fairlanes Brunswick A's or converted A-2s? i heard that they stripped some machines and parts were sold to other centres... can anyone verify that?
Cheers.

Model A's.
As far as I know, the lanes and pinsetters are still in the building. Something will have to happen with them soon because this is what's happening to the site:
http://www.finbar.com.au/fairlanes/intro.htm
Construction is starting early next year at this stage.

 

[The Real Deal]

Fairlanes..... Keeping the name...... Kinda of a nice way to remember the centre once its gone!

 

[Carl D]

It would be nice if they had some sort of Fairlanes display there, maybe in the foyer?

Perhaps something like a large mural on one or more of the walls showing pictures of the bowl and it's interior over the years. That would be great.

 

[SCOOPS]

all i want is a BRICK

 

[Carl D]

Looks like a last attempt to get rid of everything that's left in the building before it is demolished:

http://www.auctions.com.au/auctions/index.php/view/30102008Bow

I assume that includes the pinsetters since they're also still there. But, I thought the ball returns had gone to Bunbury?

If I'm not working at Craigie that day I might have to go down and see if I can get a last look inside. Maybe they need someone to drag the lanes and mop the approaches before they try to sell them?

 

[jockey]

Anyone attend the Auction last week. would be nice to know how the place looked inside as it was getting its last rites.

 

[The Real Deal]

I didnt go to the Auction, but heard Mandurah were interested in 14 of the lanes and Rosemount in 8.

 

[Carl D]

I didn't get a chance to go to the auction because I worked dayshift at Craigie last Wednesday and Thursday.

But, someone told me at Craigie last night that the auction was cancelled (presumably due to lack of interest)?

I'm not sure why Rosemount would be interested? I haven't been in there for over 4 years but, I believe they had synthetic lanes installed some time ago? Unless they want to put another 8 lanes in downstairs where Pot Black is?

Someone told me a few weeks ago that they heard Ross's (the auctioneers) were taking the pinsetters. I don't know what they want to do with them or how they're going to get them out of the building unless they hire a crew?

Looks like there is a possibility that Fairlanes - the building at least - could be there for some time yet. Finbar want to start construction on their office tower early next year but I came across this a few days ago:

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=98123

Colliers WA research consultancy manager Erwin Edlinger says one of the projects that may not be ready by 2012 is the old Fairlanes Bowling centre at 175-181 Adelaide Terrace, which Finbar originally had earmarked for an $80 million residential tower but then changed to a 15-storey office tower with 18,000sqm of office space.

“They want 50 per cent pre-commitment,” Mr Edlinger said.

In other words, the banks or whoever is lending the money want a 50% or more signup of tenants before they'll lend Finbar the money to build.

In my opinion, what they should have done was keep Fairlanes open (they were thinking about it after the closure announcement) until June, 2007 when settlement took place instead of closing it at the end of 2006 then selling as much as they could at the first auction a month later.

That way, when the original redevelopment plans fell through, they (Finbar) could have kept the bowl open until they sorted everything out with the new plans. It could still be open today.

I drive past Fairlanes about once a week, I'll keep an eye on what happens - if anything does.

 

[Carl D]

OK, apparently Rosemount haven't had synthetic lanes put in yet. My source must have been misinformed. That would explain why they might be interested in taking 8 lanes of synthetic panels and pindecks from Fairlanes.

 

[jockey]

Good luck on them getting 50% commitment in this economic climate despite the fact that their is a rental crunch in the CBD for office space. Maybe Fairlanes might not be dead and buried just yet. With a 2012 maybe deadline for construction to start you would think that the bowl might be used to generate at least some sort of revenue for the site owners. The problem is with a due date on the bowls operation it probably would not be viable for any one else to take up a lease for that tenure.

 

[Carl D]

Hi, Terry.

At the moment, Wilson Parking are using the top and bottom car parks for $2 an hour or $14 a day parking but, I'm pretty sure what they make out of that would only be a very small percentage of what the bowl was making while it was operating.

If the new office building isn't going to be completed until 2014-15 (which would mean the bowl probably wouldn't be demolished for another 2 or 3 years) then maybe Finbar should again look at the possibility of re-opening the bowl?

I say "again" because, as I mentioned in a previous post, I heard a rumour around about September, 2007 that they were looking at trying to re-open it after the original redevelopment plans fell through.

It would have been an expensive exercise because 8 of the 12 ball returns (on the approaches) went to Bunbury. All of the office and cafe equipment and anything else they could sell was sold at auction in January, 2007. The Kegel lane machine has gone as well as all the workshop tools and spare parts for the pinsetters.

I also believe the 6 (I think) big airconditioning units were removed and scrapped.

Then, there's the problem of trying to find staff - especially mechanics.

As much as I would really like to see Fairlanes opened again, even if only for a year or two, I can't see it happening, unfortunately.

 

[The Real Deal]

Fairlanes is gone....