East Islip Bowling Alley Being Sold To Senior Living Community

EAST ISLIP, NY — East Islip Lanes — a bowling alley which has served the community for more than 60 years — is in the process of being sold.

Michael Gibiser, the current proprietor, confirmed with Patch on Friday that the bowling alley is currently in the process of being sold to Benchmark East Islip Senior Living Community. The establishment, located at 117 E. Main St., would take two to three years for the sale to officially go through, Gibiser said.

An informational meeting about the bowling alley will take place on Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel, located at 11 Court House Drive in Central Islip.

In a statement made to Patch on Monday, a representative stated that Benchmark is excited to be moving forward with an assisted living community in East Islip "that not only meets the needs of residents and their families but is a good neighbor and contributes" to the area.

"We look forward to providing project details and collaborating with local officials, residents, and business owners in the coming months as we engage in the planning process," the statement read. "We plan to hold multiple community outreach meetings to disseminate information and listen to community input, as well as meet with local officials and business owners."

Benchmark currently has 63 communities in the Northeast, including Whisper Woods of Smithtown and Orchard Estate of Woodbury.

"At a future date, we will make formal filings with the town for necessary approvals, which will include public hearings that will be duly noticed and advertised, giving interested community members additional opportunities to obtain information and provide input," the statement read.

Several frustrated community members took to social media Friday morning, sharing a letter they received about the meeting.

One resident created a Change.org petition against the sale, saying that a senior living community is not what the town needs.

"This offers no benefit to our community and only adds traffic, noise, lighting, dumpster servicing, and traffic to our already crowded Main Street," the petition description said. "We understand we're losing the bowling alley, but this proposal is an insult to East Islip."