Pima County Buys Bowling Alley For Office Space

TUCSON, AZ — Tucson's Golden Pin Lanes bowling alley is set to become office spaces for county agencies, according to reports, as Pima County bought the building Tuesday in a $2.85 million deal. The county's Board of Supervisors voted 3-2 to make the purchase.

Tucson News Now reported that the county will also spend $4 million renovating the building for office space use. However, if they find unacceptable levels of asbestos, an escape clause in the contract allows the county to pull out of the deal.

The lease cost of the new office space, which will be used for some county agencies, will be $595,613 annually, nearly $300,000 less than they currently pay, County Administrator Huckelberry said in a memorandum, which details the decision and specifies costs.

Huckelberry said in the memorandum that "the acquisition and remodeling the facility for a Northwest County Service Center is the fiscally prudent action of the county on behalf of its taxpayers.”

Tucson.com reported that the new county offices will house the adult probation westside office, the health department's north clinic, the juvenile court's northwest office and several other county agencies.

The seller initially wanted to sell the building at $3 million, Huckelberry said in his memorandum, while the city initially wanted to pay $2.7 million. They decided to meet halfway.

Supervisors Ally Miller and Steve Christy voted against the measure, according to Tucson.com.

Golden Pin Lanes, at 1010 W. Miracle Mile in Tucson, was opened in 1960, Tucson News Now reported. Arizona Building Inspections reported that asbestos was banned in the state in 1977.

Pima County has 45 days to inspect the building and and pull out of the deal, if they choose to do so, due to asbestos.

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