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07/22/2007Blair to get bowling alley, shooting range$3.5M 'family entertainment center' under way
Kerry Smith, left, stands with Matt Hughey in front of the construction site of Wilderness Crossings, a new bowling alley and family recreation center in Blair Township. TRAVERSE CITY — Kerry Smith spent much of his career developing bowling alleys for others. Now he's building one to call his own. Construction is underway on Wilderness Crossings, a $3.5 million project between U.S. 31 and Curtis Road in Blair Township billed by Smith as a "family entertainment center.” The 34,000-square foot building will feature a 16-lane bowling facility plus a host of other recreational activities including a billiard room, a golf simulator, arcade, big-screen televisions, a laser tag and miniature golf area and a 120-seat full service restaurant. It's slated to open in spring 2008. Smith's resume includes developing the Northern Lights Recreation Center in the Petoskey-Harbor Springs area, where he's since sold his ownership interest. He also worked to convert the former Victory Lanes bowling alley in Petoskey to a temporary tribal casino, and developed bowling centers in West Branch and Big Rapids. His company is called Woodsmith, Inc. "I've built these for other people. I figured I might as well build one for myself,” said Smith, whose development partner is his wife Leslie Lake. "I was raised here and we want to get back here and have some fun.” Smith said he wants the business to be "family friendly” with activities that appeal to a wide range of age groups from children to young and old adults. He also hopes to attract a corporate clientele with a separate "bowling suite” that can be closed off from the rest of the facility while also offering separate meeting rooms with food and beverage service. Smith's project is part of a larger commercial development called Silver Lake Crossings that's being developed by Matt Hughey of Hughey Construction LLC in Traverse City. Hughey started piecing together the site more than 10 years ago and built a self-storage business there. Kinney's Auto Service moved there last year from its longtime home in downtown Traverse City. There's also a pending deal for a local bank branch, Hughey said. Plans also are being finalized for an indoor gun and archery range within the development. Zeroed In, the brainstorm of local businessmen Joe Peters and Rick Rieck, is awaiting final site plan approval from Blair Township and plans are to open early next year. It's a 13,000-square-foot structure that will include both an indoor firearm and archery shooting range, plus a separate area with a large video screen to simulate an outdoor hunting experience. Peters owns Prestige Painting Inc. of Lake Ann and is a reserve officer with the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department. He and Rieck came up with the idea because of a perceived lack of target practice facilities, as well as environmental concerns over outdoor shooting ranges. Rieck is the owner of the popular Fieldstone Deli in Long Lake Township. The business also will offer sales and service of firearm and archery equipment, gun and archery training and a members' lounge.
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