The plan is to turn those old bowling lanes into dinner tables, desks and other furniture. Walmart will open a 'Neighborhood Market' store in place of Cedar Lanes. But first, the corporation is allowing "ReVive Industries" to save the material.
"It's probably 20 years since I've been here, never imagined I'd be cutting it up," said Tim Schultz, owner of ReVive.
Instead of demolishing buildings, Schultz deconstructs them. He owns ReVive, a small, part-time business that turns old metal and wood into new pieces.
Schultz says when the contractor asked him to save the material he jumped at the chance. "It's going from one location where people have come together for over 50 years, to houses and offices," he said. "So this significant chunk of Fresno history is going to continue."
All this week volunteers from Hope Now for Youth and the Neighborhood Thrift will donate their time to help lift the heavy pieces of wood.
"We're looking at trying to potentially work together with in the next year or so to sell furniture or pieces within the thrift store," said Brian Feil the co-director for Neighborhood Thrift.
"Just hearing the stories and recollections as they're looking around at everything and helping pull the stuff up," Schultz said. "There's a lot of nostalgia, a lot of memories being shared."
The old Cedar Lanes used to be a college hang-out for Jonathan Dueck. He and his family love the idea of owning a piece of history. They have already put in an order for a dinner table. "I'd like to have those markings so it can be shown that this is a piece of Fresno history," he said.
Schultz says if he can remove all forty lanes the raw material value is estimated to be about $40,000. ReVive is looking for volunteers to help in deconstruction. Contact information is posted on the See It on TV tab.
