Redwood City Firefighters Now Eat On Mels Bowling Lanes Wood

REDWOOD CITY, CA — It can be said repurposing materials from historic landmarks is right up the Redwood City Fire Department's alley.

Take the latest addition to station 11's kitchen.

The pine wood that lined the lanes of Mels Bowl after more than 40 years, "lives on" in the Peninsula fire stations. Station 11's culinary decor was recently completed, following many long hours of work putting it together and in place.

Mels bowling alley, aka AMF Redwood Lanes founded in 1900, shut down in May 2011 to make way for a planned 141-unit, four-story apartment complex. "Mel" Weiss leased the land for the bowling alley in the 1950s from the grandsons of the Boicelli family.

The Professional Bowlers Tour made stops at Mel's as late as the mid 1970s.

The businessman is more commonly known as the co-founder of Mels Drive-In restaurant chain.