By Joni MacFarlane
Editor, Crowsnest Pass Promoter
Able Dental Clinic confirmed they bought the Blairmore Legion and will be moving their Crowsnest office into the facility early next year.
Operations Manager Shari Mead told The Promoter Able Dental is taking possession of the building on Aug. 1 and are still deciding what to do with the extra space.
The dental clinic will only be using a portion of the two-storey 8,800 square feet building, said Mead.
“We will be doing extensive renovations but only on about a quarter of the property,” she said. “There are lots of options for the rest of the space.”
The Crowsnest Dental Clinic is “bursting at the seams”, said Mead, and the extra space will be a welcome addition.
“[The building] more than suits our dental needs,” she said. “We’re a growing practice and we have a big area to serve. We have an amazing customer base and great service providers.”
“We’re excited to get the building and excited to continue to serve the community,” she added.
The sale of the building, however, puts a cloud of uncertainty on Rocky Mountain Lanes, who lease a part of the lower floor. The bowling alley has been for sale for over a year, but the change in ownership adds to the uncertainty.
Mead said that Rocky Mountain Lanes has had a month-to-month lease agreement with the Blairmore Legion that they only recently became aware of.
Faced with possible closure of the facility, a group of supporters approached the municipality to see if they wanted to buy it.
Owner Rae-Ann MacDonald said she doesn’t know what the future holds for the bowling alley and is in a wait-and-see position.
The municipality hasn’t said no to moving the facility elsewhere nor has Able Dental said definitively she has to leave.
“A lot of people are very nervous. Right now, there’s nowhere else to go,” said MacDonald. “But we’re hoping for the best.”
She said she’s hoping not to move, but she’d like to hear if anyone knows of a space.
“I’m willing to go down to four lanes to accommodate a good building for a bowling alley,” said MacDonald. “We provide a lot of fun for families, private parties and bowlers.”