Planet Tenpin set to find a new home after development proposal to knock alley down

Nightcliff’s Planet Tenpin is set to close it’s doors, making way for a multipurpose housing complex

Planet Tenpin owner Bruno Maglieri will be looking for a new home in a couple of years. Picture Glenn Campbell

A BELOVED Darwin Social sports venue is set to have its doors closed, making way for a multipurpose housing complex.

Nightcliff’s Planet Tenpin bowling has occupied the popular centre for just over two years but the alley has existed for almost half a century, established in 1976.

It will be the next victim of Darwin’s residential development trend with a complex to be constructed at the bowling alley’s site once there lease runs out in just over two years time.

But Planet Tenpin owner Bruno Maglieri said it was simply part of running a business in the Territory.

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“We sort of figured it was inevitable, we expected it a some point in time, it’s just a matter of finding the resources to relocate now,” he said.

“Generally you're talking 12 to 18 months to design and build a bowling alley, we've got just over two years on our lease so we’ll make a decision in the next six months.”

In happiere times. Richard Vogt and other collegues from the Department of Communications and Information Services celebrate his strike at Planet Tenpin in 2002.

The proposed complex would see two nine-storey residential towers established comprising of 80 residential units, as well as a ground floor village with office space, a medical clinic, education centre and a shop and a restaurant.

Two of the floors would be dedicated to parking, with 80 parking bays on each level.

Mr Maglieri said the most practical options for the bowling alley were to re-establish a centre in the City or in Palmerston.

“Because of (the centre) in Osgood Drive, you’d have to look at Palmerston or the city there’s no real option otherwise,” he said.

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“Unless we could turn it into a sports centre rather than a business but I’m not sure how else it would happen.”

Mr Maglieri wasn’t too phased by the news and said he knew the day would come sooner or later.

“The area is pretty much been turning into units for the last 15, 20 years now, it’s been on the way,” he said.

“Landlords have been pretty honest with us all the way so there’s no surprises.”

Mr Maglieri said the bowling community had grown over the years and had provided a great social outlet for many in the Top End.

“I started bowling here when I was 11 and its taken me all over the world, taken me to US Open and the world cup, the list goes on,” he said.

“A third of our customers are regular league bowlers, they come once or twice a week all year round, another third would be disability customers, we’ve got 15 or twenty here now who come for a couple of times a week which is important for them and the rest would just be social bowlers who just want to bowl on the best lanes in town.”