Arlington Approves Multiyear Incentive Program For Bowling Development

By SUSAN SCHROCK
Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

ARLINGTON — The City Council approved a multiyear economic incentive program Tuesday designed to help a developer bring several bowling facilities to the entertainment district.

New Era Llc. is developing an International Bowling Campus in the 600 block of Six Flags Drive. The campus set to open next year is expected to include the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America and the U.S. Bowling Congress.

The developer is expected to invest about $12 million to relocate the entities, upgrade the 100,000-square-foot office building on the site and build a 15,000-square-foot training and testing facility, said Robert Sturns, the city’s economic development manager.

The campus is also expected to bring 145 to 160 full-time jobs to Arlington.

"Sports seems to be a big attraction for Arlington," Sturns said. "This is a sport, maybe a little less mainstream than others, but it has a very strong following. It will be an asset."

The city hopes that the new campus will make Arlington a contender for major tournaments and events such as the International Bowl Expo, which would bring in thousands of people and untold sales tax revenue.

As an incentive, the city has offered to provide grants to New Era over the next decade if the property tax value for the site increases by at least $3 million, Sturns said. He said the property is currently appraised at $5.5 million. One type of annual grant would be worth about 55 percent of the property’s increase in value, Sturns said.

The developer could also receive grants worth up to half the city’s hotel occupancy tax revenue that are attributed directly to rooms booked for bowling conferences and events, according to city records. Other incentives include waiving various building and permit fees.