Mason City council looks to add bowling alley to Southbridge Mall

MASON CITY – The crack of scattered pins has been eerily missing in Mason City since 2023 but that could all change if the diligent City Council cobbles a plan to install a bowling alley inside Southbridge Mall, which is losing $22,000 per month.

Earlier this year, the City of Mason City took ownership of Southbridge Mall and fired developer David Rachie, who was paid handsomely by taxpayers with lavish checks courtesy of Bill Schickel.

With Rachie out, City Administrator Aaron Burnett said, “Moving forward with a new developer and mall owner is now a top priority.”

That “new developer” just might be city hall, as the city council met on October 22, 2024, to ponder the future of the town-owned mall. The meeting was called to order by Schickel and the following Council Members attended: Joshua Masson, John Jaszewski, Tim Latham, and Paul Adams.  Mason City Riverhawk head football coach John Lee and Quinn Symonds‘ brother didn’t show up.

The meeting, dubbed a “Planning Session for Southbridge Mall Development” was meant to deal with four lingering questions looming over the 4-decades-old structure:

1) Should the City hold onto the mall or not.

2) Council’s priorities regarding what should go into the space.

3) Review the current leasing and discuss the financial aspect of that.

4) Look at future action items regarding what the next steps should be.

During the two hour meeting, the council and mayor and various city officials kicked around the financial situation and future options for Southbridge Mall.  The mall includes the multi-purpose arena and Burnett stated that “selling it off to a developer” would be exceedingly difficult.  NIT readers will recall that your #1 news source in North Iowa reported over four years ago, “Southbridge Mall in Mason City will soon be getting a make-over, City Hall proclaimed today.  Residents will see some very exciting and notable new developments in the future as announced at the City Council meeting on May 4, 2021.  The existing mall will supposedly be transformed into an entertainment center catering to families.”

The community sat by waiting for three years while this bogus “great step in the River City Renaissance Project!” stewed before city hall finally ousted David Rachie and the 2021 development announcement quietly was euthanized.  Back to the drawing board again, as city hall and the council are finally attempting to move forward with more development in the mall.  With a new developer highly unlikely, and tenants in the mall spotty at best, what should happen next?  Burnett told the council during the meeting that the mall is costing the City $22,000 in losses every month, so offsetting that loss is paramount.

Burnett told the council the options for a theatre and conference center are constrained.   It was also disclosed that the council wants “a bowling alley, a theatre, restaurants, young family play space, pickleball, arcade and incubator.”

Mason City has been without a bowling alley since May of 2023, when Mystic Lanes burned down.  NIT readers will recall that the Rose Bowl also burned down, back in 2014, due to an electrical failure.

Councilman Tim Latham said a bowling alley development in the mall could be up to 20,000 square feet in size.  Burnett said “there are partners they could bring in” to add the bowling alley but it would require incentives (government handouts – some call this socialism – but that’s a bad word and not to be used in economic development projects.  Only when the government helps poor people.  Not rich people.)

Moving forward, Burnett claims he is talking to developers about a bowling alley, and a request for proposals could be sought soon.  City staff may also look to put together a plan to “activate” a theatre space in the future.