Former Colerain Bowl site to become car dealership | Going Up

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Jeff Wyler Kia to open at former Colerain Bowl location

• Address: 9189 Colerain Ave., Colerain Township (former home of Colerain Bowl).
• Building type: Two-story, multi-use structure for Kia Automotive sales, service and administration.
• Developer/contractor/architect/engineer: McGill Smith Punshon, Inc.
• Size: The site is 4.2 acres with a 35,000-square-foot building.

What you need to know about Jeff Wyler Kia opening at the former Colerain Bowl site

Milford-based Jeff Wyler Automotive Family will open a new location in Colerain Township, specializing in Kia sales.

The new Jeff Wyler Kia will be a two-s tory stone and aluminum building at 9189 Colerain Ave., near Roundtop Road, the former site of Colerain Bowl. The 50-year-old automotive company currently operates 40 dealerships across Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. According to its website , Jeff Wyler offers sales, service, and parts for 15 car brands, including new, used and commercial vehicles.

Here’s where the project stands and what’s ahead

Developers got permission from the township to demolish the former Colerain Bowl site, among other zoning allowances, in February 2024. The permit expires in March 2025. The project is expected to be completed by July or August 2025.

The Enquirer contacted Jeff Wyler Kia and McGill Smith Punshon, Inc., for more information about the project but did not receive a response.

What do locals think?

David Miller, director of development for Colerain Township, told The Enquirer that the only feedback he's received from the community about this project is "sadness about losing their beloved Colerain Bowl." Several residents left comments under the township's Jan. 18 Facebook post , expressing their feelings about the bowling alley's closure and the upcoming dealership.

"Historical society should have saved it, I’ll leave it at that," one comment reads.

"Never should have allowed another dealership to take over that property. The bowling alley was such a huge part of Colerain for families and for local school field trips," another Facebook user wrote.

"Passed the vacant lot for the first time just this week. It was jarring, and my heart sank," another person added.

Per Google Maps , the new Jeff Wyler Kia will be next to a Joseph Toyota car dealership and a Speedway gas station. Across from the new Jeff Wyler Kia are Geraci Fine Jewelry, Subway, Pretty Nails, a child care agency, Waffle House and a U-Haul truck rental facility.

History of Colerain Bowl

Frank Ruggerie opened Colerain Bowl in November 1960. The iconic bowling alley continued to be owned and operated by the Ruggerie family until it closed in June 2022. Colerain Bowl originally opened with just 36 lanes and added 12 lanes a decade later, in 1970.

Over the years, Colerain Bowl grew into one of "Cincinnati's premier bowling conglomerates": Gold Triangle Fun Centers, which included See-More Lanes, Colerain Bowl, and Northwest Lanes.

The bowling alley was listed for sale approximately three years before it closed.

The Enquirer reported in 2022 that Ruggerie's daughter Gina in a Facebook post cited the "economic landscape" as the main reason for the closure.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Former Colerain Bowl site to become car dealership | Going Up