Ceremony Marks Start of Remodeling of Colonial Lanes

A brief ground-breaking ceremony was held Tuesday morning (June 7) outside the Colonial Lanes bowling alley in Lawrence Township to mark the beginning of a multi-million dollar project that will transform the building into what will be known as the Colonial Entertainment Center.

The bowling alley - located in the 2400 block of Brunswick Pike (Business Route 1) - closed last month in preparation for its complete “redevelopment and modernization.”

When it reopens for business in October, the Colonial Entertainment Center will feature a “first-class restaurant and sports bar, a multi-dimensional laser tag arena, and 24 luxury bowling lanes featuring a custom four-lane private suite. JumboTron-styled projection screens – the largest of their kind in the state – will be augmented by other unique features, including a ‘mini-bowling’ experience, amusement and redemption arcade, regulation billiards, and a state-of-the-art sound and motion lighting system,” owner Stan Sheft said in a press release.

Attending Tuesday’s ground-breaking with Sheft were Lawrence Township Mayor Greg Puliti, township Councilwoman Pam Mount, and Pat Colavita, a past township mayor and current chairman of the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders.  

“This is a memorable occasion for us, obviously. It’s an end of an era. We’ve been here since the 1960s. Now, it’s time for a change. And we know – and the mayor can verify it – that the new building will be an asset to Lawrence Township,” Sheft said during the ceremony. “And we hope that everybody understands we’re doing this in a bad economy. But we feel very optimistic that things will turn around and we’ll be here on the ground floor.”

Puliti called the project “a catalyst for other business to locate here.”

He said, “On behalf of the Lawrence Township Council, this is a monumental project for Lawrence. This means so much to the redevelopment of the Brunswick Pike here. Everyone I talk to in town is just so excited about this project. And we’re glad that they have faith in Lawrence Township, and we have faith in them, for going on with the next phase of the Colonial Entertainment Center.”

“There’s a wonderful word in Italian called ‘coraggio.’ And just the sound of it speaks to what is happening today – because courage brings hope, hope brings jobs, and jobs bring vitality to this wonderful Township of Lawrence.,” Colavita said. “So as a Mercer County Freeholder and lifelong resident [of Lawrence] I’m extremely proud to be here.”