Shuttered North Aurora bowling alley to become self-storage business

A North Aurora bowling alley that has been vacant nearly seven years will be turned into a self-storage business built in its place.

The former Fair Lanes and AMF Valley Lanes, 310 S. Lincolnway (Route 31), will become North Aurora Self Storage.

The village board voted 5-1 Monday to approve a special-use permit. Trustee Chris Faber voted against it.

The plan is to remodel the 40,000-square-foot building for indoor access storage, and build five outlying structures that would allow access by garage style doors.

"I would like to see a use in that location that creates jobs or tax revenue. We already have plenty of storage space in town. We have that as a special use in our zoning code so we can make sure it's a necessary fit, and I don't think this is," Faber said Wednesday.

Aside from aesthetic landscape improvements, it doesn't really have much to contribute to North Aurora, he said.

The owners of Next Door Storage LLC told the board they will invest about $4 million in the property, including about $2.5 million to remodel the existing building. They expect to employ two full-time and one part-time worker.

Their application also indicated the site is not likely to get a retail use, such as shops, because it doesn't front Lincolnway; access is off Smoketree Lane. And given there is already a hotel next door, and another hotel being built on Orchard Road, it is unlikely a developer would want to build a hotel on it, the applicant wrote.

Before it closed, the bowling alley had been the sight of some gang-related activity. In 2003, four people were shot, and another badly beaten, in a late-night incident.