TUSTIN – Tustin Lanes has officially become the latest victim of the shrinking bowling industry, shutting its doors after 38 years.
The building on Old Irvine Boulevard won’t sit empty long, though.
An Orchard Supply Hardware store will soon take its place, as home improvement stores bounce back along with the post-recession housing market.
This will mark Orchard’s third Orange County location. There is another site nine miles away in Irvine, plus one 12 miles away in Yorba Linda.
The chain closed a number of local stores – including in Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley and Santa Ana – after filing bankruptcy and becoming a stand-alone division of Lowe’s Home Improvement in 2013.
“We’re making strategic investments to establish new stores in California, including Tustin, and are looking forward to re-establishing a stronger presence in Orange County,” Bob Tellier, president of Orchard Supply Hardware, said via email Wednesday.
This isn’t the first time Orchard has converted a former bowling alley into a new store, with Tellier noting they’re always looking for “unique spaces” to expand. In May, a hardware store opened inside a historic Portland bowling center with repurposed wood from the lanes as a nod to the site’s past.
Tustin Lanes had been open since 1977. The family-owned bowling alley was a longtime favorite for leagues and tournaments. Customers say that’s because it hung on to affordable prices and a neighborhood feel even as trendy bowling centers such as Bowlmor at The District popped up around it.
Managers didn’t respond to multiple requests to discuss what triggered the recent closure. However, property records show Tustin Lanes sold the site April 22 for $8.6 million to a Colorado real estate development firm.
The existing 43,00-square-foot building will remain, according to Elizabeth Binsack, community development director for the city. She said the structure will be modified to accommodate Orchard Supply Hardware, also known as OSH.
“We will likely be issuing permits within a few weeks for the improvements,” Binsack said.
No further details were available yet on when the OSH store will open or how many employees they plan to hire.
“We’ll be sure to share more information about the new store location as soon as we’re able,” Tellier said.
Reaction to the news was largely confusion, with residents pointing out several similar stores already nearby.
Lowe’s and Home Depot have locations less than three miles away at The Market Place. Plus Adam’s Hardware has been open for 53 years about a quarter-mile away on Newport Avenue, in the shopping center with Trader Joe’s.
One commenter on the website Reddit said: “I love the hardware store next to the Trader Joe’s and would be worried about it staying if an OSH opened right next to it.”
Kristin Nitz, who met her husband at Tustin Lanes 31 years ago, also expressed disappointment.
“What we need are places like Tustin Lanes that promote family time and having good, clean fun that does not include a TV or a computer screen,” Nitz said. “Since they are taking Tustin Lanes away, bringing in something else that would bring our kids and parents together would be much nicer than an Orchard Supply Hardware.”
Contact the writer: 714-796-7963 or BStaggs@OCRegister.com
