Evergreen Park High School announced plans to add a bowling alley to its sports complex, becoming possibly the first high school in the state to do so.
The High School District 231 board approved the eight-lane bowling alley that will take the place of the existing fitness center at 2700 W. 91st St., according to a district news release.
The sports complex will get a new fitness center in the space where locker rooms are now located.
The high school’s boys and girls bowling teams now practice and meet at Arena Lanes in Oak Lawn, which has become more crowded as other local alleys including the former Bleeker’s Bowling Lanes in Evergreen Park have closed, Athletic Director Jim Soldan said in a statement.
“This in turn makes availability to get lanes daily and over school breaks increasingly harder,” Soldan said. “The ability to have our own eight-lane alley will allow our teams to practice and have meets anytime they want with no additional charges for the school.”
Soldan, who declined to be interviewed, said the athletic department also plans to use the alley for small tournaments and community events.
A rendering of the planned bowling alley that will be used by Evergreen Park High School programs and be open to the community. (Evergreen Park District 231)
An eight-lane bowling alley is expected to open within Evergreen Park High School’s sports complex at 2700 W. 91st St. in August 2026. (Evergreen Park District 231)
Maggie Jaklich, who was on the school’s girls bowling team for four years, graduating in 2010, said many school teams have to compete for practice time at Arena Lanes.
“A lot of these bowling alleys (that closed) were kind of feeder programs into the high school,” Jaklich said “It really promoted the youth bowling and coaches were around getting youth bowlers interested in the sport who would then go and bowl for the high school.”
Jaklich said now, a lot of schools miss those feeder opportunities and she said she’s excited for the possibility of a community alley that could increase interest in the sport.
Evergreen Park High School bowlers compete Thursday at Arena Lanes in Oak Lawn, their home location. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Daily Southtown)
Evergreen Park High School bowler Aidan Gerstein, center, talks with head coach Ron Pula between sets Thursday at Arena Lanes, the home for the school’s bowling team. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Daily Southtown)
District 231 Board President Mary Zofkie said she was excited to support the new alley, which “honors a tradition that has long been part of Evergreen Park’s history.”
“We’re thrilled to bring bowling back to Evergreen Park and provide our students and community with a new, state-of-the-art facility right here in our sports complex,” Zofkie said. “We saw an opportunity to create something special that connects our school and community through recreation, competition and Mustang pride.”
Construction on the bowling alley is expected to begin early next year for an August 2026 completion.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/15/evergreen-park-high-school-bowling-alley/
