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HISTORY
What started out as a vision in 2003, Grand River Entertainment "kept the ball rolling" by announcing plans April 22, 2005, to start construction of a 30,000 square-foot recreation center just south of the Grand Six Theatre in Chillicothe. The estimated $2.7 million project provides a recreational facility for families and individuals of all ages in north Missouri. The announcement came almost two years to the day when Chillicothe lost is only bowling alley due to construction of the new Wal-Mart Supercenter. Ireland Recreation Center offered 16 lanes of bowling and closed on April 19, 2003.

Kaploe Marketing, a nationally-recognized recreational management firm, is responsible for managing the facility. David Copeland of Copeland Development & Construction, is the general contractor.

Project financing was made possible through a USDA loan guarantee and the local banks. The city of Chillicothe also provided a low interest loan through its economic development fund. Project equity was raised through considerable constructions by the local Jenkins and Browning foundations and Chillicothe Development Corporation. The communication, coordination, and cooperation of every facet of the community helped make the recreational center a reality.

Just some of the individuals at the head table during the announcement ceremony in April were: Norman Gregg, representing bowling enthusiasts; Dave Copeland; C.P. Hutchinson, land owner where the center will be built; Butch Shaffer, president of Grand River Entertainment; Danny Jackson of the US Dept. of Agriculture office in Chillicothe; Dean Brookshier, deputy chief of staff for Congressman Sam Graves; John Marcolla, president of CDC; Chillicothe Mayor Todd Rodenberg; and Robert Cowherd, attorney for Grand River Entertainment, who worked endlessly to push the project along. Others who played a role were Tom Ashbrook, representatives from the TIF Commission, Grand River Entertainment, the city of Chillicothe and former city attorney Tim Bosler, Chillicothe Development Corporation, the Mervyn Jenkins and Roger A. Browning foundations, the banks, and the citizens of the community.

Grand River Entertainment is a not-for-profit organization whose primary purpose is to encourage, foster, promote, and sponsor recreation for the citizens of Chillicothe, Livingston County, and the surrounding area.

Committee Members
Fast Lane Fun Committee members include: Amy Supple of the Greater Chillicothe Visitor's Region; Liz Fechtig of Midwest Glove; Butch Shaffer of Grand River Entertainment; Cindy Campbell, Chillicothe State Bank; Ed Crowford, Chillicothe Parks and Rec; Ed Turner, EST Enterprises; Rollie Stadlman, Citizens Bank & Trust; Ronni Clark, Piggly Wiggly; and Steve Franke, Midwest Glove.

Naming Contest
Winning a $100 cash prize and a one-year all admission pass to the new recreation center was Dianne Couey of Trenton, who was named the winner of the naming contest with her submission of "The Fast Lane." The announcement was made prior to the Chillicothe Mudcats game at Shaffer Park in July, 2005. Over 450 area residents participated in the Chillicothe recreation center naming contest sponsored by Grand River Entertainment. Contest participants were judged on the following criteria:

• Does the name encompass the function and attractions of the facility?

• Could a theme be built around the name?

• Does the name appeal to a broad audience of all ages?

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Construction Process
Construction crews began by compacting soil at the site for the new recreational center just south of the Grand 6 Theatre in north Chillicothe. The project involved scraping dirt from the east side of Grand Drive and moving it to the job site. Jon Jadrich, an engineer technician with Maxim Technologies, Inc., of Kansas City, was on hand to monitor, test and inspect the material, moisture, and density of the compaction in order to produce the proper subgrade.

After the dirt compaction was completed, crews started putting down between 18 and 20 inches of base rock. Copeland Development and Construction is the general contractor.

(Photos by Chillicothe Constitution Tribune & BK Web Works)

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Wednesday, November 30, 2005 was a day of celebration as many of those individuals who helped get a family recreation center opened in Chillicothe got their first glimpse of The Fast Lane Family Entertainment Center in action on the eve before its official opening. In what was called a soft grand opening by the center¹s management, more than 300 people converged on The Fast Lane to walk through the facility. The $2.8 million center boasts 24 lanes of bowling, a room for laser tag, a snack bar, arcade games, meeting rooms and a restaurant. Those visiting also christened the new lanes by bowling a few frames and playing arcade games as well as laser tag.

The center officially opens to the public at 5 p.m. Thursday, December 1, 2005; however, the restaurant, which is called Victories, won¹t open until Monday, Dec. 5. Several individuals who were instrumental in making the project come to fruition addressed the large crowd gathered Wednesday night. Butch Shaffer, president of Grand River Entertainment, which built the center, was the first to make comments and applauded all those who made the center a reality. "Everybody here has helped this project become a reality," he said. "So, everybody here, tonight, deserves a pat on the back." Standing in front the state-of-the-art bowling lanes, Shaffer told the crowd which had gathered throughout the center, to look around. "Your efforts will make a lasting impact on the community of Chillicothe," he said. Shaffer noted that the center will be continually evolving and said that some things still needed to be completed, including decorations for the restaurant. The restaurant, Shaffer said, will have a sports theme and highlight significant events, including championships by local and area schools as well as professional teams.

Local attorney Robert Cowherd, who worked on the legal aspects of the recreational center, provided the group with a brief history of project. He also noted the importance of the cooperation from the charitable foundations which provided funds and the support from Chillicothe¹s four banks which are all locally-owned. Additionally, Cowherd paused for a moment to remember the generosity of C.P. Hutchinson, who died a little over a week ago. Hutchinson donated money to the project, covered the costs when the sewer line had to be relocated, and provided dirt to the site from property he owned across the road from The Fast Lane. Cowherd also introduced Dave Copeland of Copeland Development and Construction, who served as the general contractor and agreed to build the center for what his costs would be. Copeland thanked all of his employees and subcontractors who worked diligently to get the center open by Dec. 1. "Everybody who worked out here went above and beyond the call of duty," he said. "We had a deadline and they worked long hours. They worked on Saturdays and some on Sundays." Copeland also thanked the workers' spouses who adjusted the long work schedules. Ground was broken for the new center on June 2 and the footings were poured at the end of August. Typically, a project of this magnitude would take between five and six months, Copeland said. Approximately 30 subcontractors were hired on the project and once the work began, there usually were between 40 and 60 people working at the site on  a regular basis.

The Fast Lane will be under the direction of Kaploe Management Company for the day-to-day operation. Company representative Max Cook was also in attendance Wednesday night and told the crowd about the future of The Fast Lane, including the scheduled ProAm Tournament in late June. He also mentioned that miniature golf will be added at some point in time. Shaffer also thanked a number of individuals, including representatives of the local banks and foundations. "A project like this doesn¹t happen without the support and financial assistance of many people and entities," he said. "Tonight, we would like to thank some of those people who made this project possible." Among those recognized were the Grand River Entertainment board of directors, Robert Cowherd, Danny Jackson of USDA (which guaranteed 70 percent of the loan), Congressman Sam Graves and his representative, Dean Brookshier; Rep. John Quinn, Mayor Todd Rodenberg, City Administrator John Edwards, City Council members Chuck Haney, Pam Jarding, Maurice Zion, Earle Teegarden and Tom Douglas; Chillicothe Development Corporation, Mervyn Jenkins Charitable Foundation, The Browning Charitable Foundation, Citizens Bank and Trust, Chillicothe State Bank, Investors National Bank, Bank Midwest, Dave Copeland and the entire crew from Copeland Construction, Kaploe Management Company and, specifically, Max Cook, who has been with this project from the beginning. Representatives from each of those groups were invited to throw the first ceremonial balls.

Approximately 70 percent of the $2.8 million recreational center is being financed with the balance provided through donations. Of the portion being financed, tax increment financing will pay approximately $600,000. It is anticipated that the $600,000 will be met within 20 years; however, TIF cannot extend longer than 23 years. Chillicothe has been without a bowling facility since April 2003, when Ireland Recreation Center closed to make way for construction of the new Wal-Mart Supercenter. Ireland Recreation Center offered 16 lanes of bowling. Since the moment that plans were announced in 2002 that the center would be closing, local and area enthusiasts had been persistent in trying to get a new center established.

For more information or to book your party, call our manager at 707-1700.

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