Overland Park threatens Incred-A-Bowl with demolition — but allows work to go on

Kristi Uenishi has lived in her Overland Park home for 20 years, residing just behind the old Incred-A-Bowl site.

Over the last decade, she’s watched the long-neglected former bowling alley at 8500 W. 151st Street fall into disrepair, heard the many empty promises of refilling the space, and pleaded with the city to act.

“I am asking, even begging at this point to please not allow him (the owner) any more extensions, to not allow this permit, and any action you can take to make this area beautiful again,” Uenishi said during Monday’s Overland Park City Council meeting.

Uenishi came forward during Monday’s meeting to advocate for the City Council to deem the building unsafe after city officials learned over the summer that the roof could cave in because of unpermitted construction work done at the site.

Permits have been issued for several projects over the years, with the most recent issued for a Bocce Ball space, which was halted after city officials discovered the potentially shoddy construction work and posted the building as unfit for occupancy.

The City Council set a deadline on Monday for the owner to make key safety improvements or risk possible demolition.

After years of effort, Uenishi may finally see her advocacy come to fruition. But one tenant, who leases a space and operates a gym in the building, may face displacement.

Despite staff recommending giving the owners a 60-day extension because they were seeing improvements to the site, the City Council directed staff to create a resolution that would deem the building unsafe or dangerous and order that the structure be repaired or removed.

“We’ve talked about this project over and over again, trusting that they’re going to do the right thing and they haven’t done the right thing yet,” Councilmember Scott Mosher said. “I think there comes to a point of accountability where we say, ‘This is the end.’”

Incred-A-Bowl in Overland Park

Incred-A-Bowl opened in 1997 and was owned by former Kansas City Royals pitcher Danny Jackson and his wife, Mary.

Shortly after it closed in 2015, Dr. Paramjeet Sabharwal, a surgeon at MISH Hospital and Clinics in Lenexa, purchased the building.

Since that time, Sabharwal has received several zoning approvals – including a special use permit for a hospital and an event space. The owner also controls vacant property to the north (8601 and 8621 W. 150th St.) which has zoning approval for two office buildings.

Permits have been issued for a gym, which has been completed. A second permit has been issued for a Bocce Ball space.

Since 2018, the owner has racked up 18 code violations, with the next court date for outstanding violations scheduled for Oct. 22. Two stop work orders were issued in 2022 and 2024 due to work without a permit, and the fire department issued a hazard notice in 2022.

As of Oct. 6, he owes more than $62,000 in property taxes, according to Johnson County property records.

Concerns at former bowling alley

Councilmember Sam Passer remembers going to the former Incred-A-Bowl site to spend quality time with his kids.

“Over the years, when you have something that was such a positive establishment, a great place to spend some family time for a day, and then it turns into what’s undeniably an eyesore that’s disappointing,” Passer said in an interview.

Staff reported back in June that staff requested a site inspection at the property, which found that a new finished floor had been poured and left column pads exposed and extending above the floor. The owner had tried to create a higher ceiling without structural engineer oversight or any engineering inspections to the changes.

The city posted the building as dangerous for human occupancy.

Since the July City Council meeting, which discussed this item, Code of Appeals Staff Liaison Jim Brown told council members that the owner has made significant progress by removing gravel piles and structural debris on the north side of the building and took down a sign that was out of compliance.

“The contractor has stepped up and worked toward the goal of getting the building back to a safe and working manner,” Brown said.

A couple of weeks ago, the city issued a permit for the contractor to install roof support structures, known as shoring, minimizing the risk of roof collapse, said Charles Kraft, the contractor for this project who spoke on behalf of the owner.

Fire suppression is expected to come in and make the necessary pipe replacements and modifications and engineers are coming in to take out the concrete columns and footings that were installed without permits. Everything will be done with expert supervision, he added.

“We are asking for time to finish the interior, get it stabilized and continue on the interior finish,” Kraft said. “We should definitely get everything taken care of … within 60 days for sure.”

Tenant could be displaced

While neighbors called for demolition, Sid Balakrishnan — a tenant who operates Beastified Gym out of the southwest corner of the building — asked the City Council to grant the 60-day extension.

“I’m really excited to see all these changes come. And for me, it’s very pivotal that the building looks good because it brings customers in,” Balakrishnan said. “I don’t want to be the only one that’s permitted, that’s residing next to the building that’s condemned.”

He reported that the building’s status has affected his business quickly, reporting “the worst month in September this year.”

Balakrishnan’s business can remain in the building until the city begins demolition. If the building gets torn down, he would be displaced.

“I really hope that we can make these changes in the building quickly. It will benefit not only me, but the Overland Park community,” he said.

However, the City Council didn’t want to give the owners any more time.

“I just have lost faith in this project,” Mosher said. “There needs to be accountability and if that means we deem it unsafe, at least at the end of that time we’re done. … I’m tired of revisiting because there’s no trust.”

The owner has an opportunity to make continued progress on the building before the city makes a final decision to teardown the building. A resolution is expected to come before the City Council at a later meeting.