“We definitely don’t need another hotel”; business owners frustrated about redevelopment of local bowling alley

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- A popular bowling venue in downtown Charleston, The Alley, announced yesterday that it is closing down.

The City of Charleston plans to turn the space into a new hotel, plans that have been in place since 2022.

The Alley was a popular hangout spot for many, like Barney Monte.

“I did go a lot, and it was always fun to meet a group of people there and have the alley olympics where you bowled and played pop-a-shot,” Monte said.

Now, the doors are closing for good after 12 years in business.

“We’re disappointed. We’re going to have a little going away party for the Alley next week,” Monte said.

The Alley’s owner announced its June 1 closure Monday on Instagram.

In the post, he said, “We sincerely thank our exceptional and dedicated alley family, past and present. They made this unique, 17,000-square-foot entertainment venue a place welcome to all.”

The plan is to turn the space into a 175-room hotel called Lowline.

However, those plans come with some frustration from other business owners downtown.

“We definitely don’t need another hotel, we absolutely don’t need another hotel,” the owner of Revolutionary Charleston Walking Tours, John Bryan said.

Bryan says he thinks it is sad that so many locally owned spots that have been here for years are now leaving the area.

“If all you’re doing is painting over it with a really pretty hotel and expensive restaurant, it starts to lose its historical significance,” Bryan said.

Representatives with Explore Charleston, however, said that as Charleston grows, these types of changes are inevitable.

Right now, the owner says there are no plans to relocate The Alley.