Voelker's Lanes
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Parcels of concern
Aerial View, click to enlarge
1900s
1960s
Photo credit: Buffalo News Archives
Location
680 Amherst Street, Buffalo, NY 14207
Also known as 686 Amherst Street
SBL: 89.21-7-8
North Council District
Google Bird's Eye View
Erie County Property Info
County Tax Map (loads GIS page)
City of Buffalo Parcel Viewer
Owner
- AM-ELM REALTY, INC. per City of Buffalo Property Information
- This building is owned by the same entity as this April 2021 demolition request: 666 Amherst Street, 668 Amherst Street, 680 Amherst Street (the bowling alley) & 1634 Elmwood Avenue. Other properties owned by Voelker's and also at risk are 141 Marion Street, 155 Marion Street and 1628 Elmwood Avenue.
Physical Description
Current Condition
History
- Hotel Elmwood
- 1892 - The Voelker family operates a saloon on site, in space rented from a brewery. Buffalo News
- It purchased the land during Prohibition
- 1941 - Bowling was added to the business Buffalo News
- 1979 - The Voelker family bought their major rival, Kenmore Lanes.Buffalo News
Recent Events and Actions Taken
- July 2016 - The owners have expressed interest in putting their various properties on the market, 'looking for a build-to-suit tenant for the property. If a deal can be worked out, then Voelker’s bowling activity will be shifted to Kenmore Lanes.' Business First This would end bowling on site and possibly endanger the building itself.
- August 2016 - "Specifically, the sprawling real estate includes an L-shaped 3.38-acre parcel at Elmwood from Amherst to Marion streets, stretching west 600 feet toward Bridgeman Street, with a handful of commercial buildings. There’s also a smaller, 0.46-acre plaza a block south at Elmwood and Woodette Place, and 0.31 acres at the northwest corner of Elmwood and Marion, consisting of a parking lot and a home. In all, there are 14 separate parcels." Buffalo News
- April 2021: Voelker's Bowling Inc. has applied for a permit to demolish this building and three others.
Other Pertinent Facts
Links
- Voelker's Bowling homepage
- Facebook - Voelker's Bowling Center
- Business First, July 2016 - For sale, maybe, Voelker's Lanes
- Buffalo News, August 2016 - Iconic Buffalo bowling alley's days could be numbered
- Demolition application
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Added 2016-12-02 • Last changed 2021-04-11