Plains VFW getting a makeover

It is a building that in one way or another has been serving the Plains community for several decades. 

In the mid 1970s it was savaged by fire, rebuilt and given new life. 

But now, the VFW building on West Lynch Street plans are in the works to update the structure, beginning with the iconic eight-lane bowling alley in the basement. 

“The bowling alley looks like it did in 1976,” said post Quartermaster Heather Allen. “There are elements of the facility we can no longer find parts for.  It needs to be updated.”

The 1970s fire destroyed most of what was a two-story VFW structure, including the bowling alley. Club members and workers managed to save enough of the old lanes to create the VFW’s current bar top on the main floor. 

The old lanes were made of 1-inch wide by 2-inch deep wood slats, which are no longer readily available. There are many other areas of the bowling alley that need upgrading, Allen said.  

“This is like a flash back in time,” she said, surveying the current facility. “The pin machines themselves are in pretty much constant need of repair and finding parts for them is almost impossible”. 

Prentiss Campbell, who has been working on the equipment for more than a decade, agreed that finding parts has become a daunting task. 

“We buy used parts when we can find them, there are no new ones being made,” he said of the machinery, which was made by AMF in 1959. “They were great when they were built, but the equipment has given it’s soul over the years.”

Shortly after being installed as the VFW Quartermaster, Allen began doing what she and club members could to update and keep the facility running.  Now she is hoping to raise $1 million to pay for an extensive expansion and remodeling of the alley and its equipment. 

“We had an engineer come in and let us know what can be done to re-do and expand the alley. There will still be eight lanes, but other amenities will be added and expanded to make it a better place.”

Among those  proposed additions, Allen said, will be a restroom facility in the bowling alley and two elevators to allow better access for senior citizens and others. 

The lanes would be replaced, and new pin machinery would be added.  An excavation on what is now the west wall of the facility would increase usable space. 

“The engineer said we could dig out under what is now part of the parking lot as part of the expansion,” she said. 

The club recently began sending out flyers and other notices about the proposed work and donations to help fund it. 

The project would be the initial phase of a massive, overall expansion of the VFW building, including adding a second story with space for an event hall and restaurant capabilities. 

Allen said the overall project would cost an estimated $5 million, possibly more if the building is built in a different location. 

“We are proposing having a sponsorship program with different levels available for those who would like to be part of the plan,” Allen said. “We don’t make money on the bowling alley like we used to.  The alleys used to be used as a site for state bowling championships and school tournaments.” 

Allen said once a million dollars is raised, the VFW could begin the process of applying for grant aid funds. 

Currently the lanes are used in the winter months for senior and mixed league games.  It is also available for rent for birthday parties and similar events. 

If you would like to donate to the project, or for more information, call Heather Allen, 406 607-9786.  For those wishing to rent the facility, dial 406 607-5519.

    VFW Quartermaster Heather Allen surveys the existing 8-lane basement bowling alley at the club on West Lynch Street in Plains. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)