Bowling alleys in Hawai'i have been falling like pins in recent history, but two Big Island businessmen see an opportunity to reverse the trend in Hilo.

The plan by Ho'oluana Place LLC would add 32 or so lanes as part of a larger retail and entertainment complex development in a relatively small market that already has one of the largest bowling alleys in the state.

The $16 million project also would be the second initiative this year to open a large commercial bowling alley in Hawai'i.

In August, operators of a chain of Minnesota bowling centers agreed to take over the shuttered Wai'alae Bowl on O'ahu, which closed in February after 50 years in operation.

Former Wai'alae Bowl owner Frank Yamamoto had said the 20-lane operation had lost money for its last two years as rent and other expenses got too high.

Michael and Matthew Anderson, whose family owns five Colonial Lanes centers in Minnesota, plan to spend $1 million to renovate Wai'alae Bowl and increase revenue in part by selling alcoholic beverages.

In Hilo, Ho'oluana Place LLC plans to develop its Hilo Family Entertainment Center on a vacant 6-acre parcel zoned for commercial and resort use in a commercial and residential neighborhood near Hilo International Airport.

An initial phase of development would include the bowling alley, an indoor minigolf course, laser tag, an arcade, banquet facilities and a family restaurant. A connected complex is envisioned to have a couple more restaurants, a sports bar, butcher shop and other tenants. Total building area in the first phase is about 50,000 square feet.

A second phase is planned for 16,000 square feet of retail.

The developer, which recently filed a draft environmental assessment with the state, said in the filing that demand exists in Hilo for bowling and other family entertainment.

"The opportunities for family recreational activities are limited in the Hilo area," the developer said in the document.

Ho'oluana Place LLC is headed by Thomas H. Yamamoto of Waimea, who owns about two-thirds of the property, and David De Luz Sr., a local rancher and owner of Big Island Toyota, who owns the balance of the property.

Yamamoto did not return calls seeking comment on the project, and De Luz could not be reached for comment.

Bowling alleys — like drive-in movie theaters, mom-and-pop shops and old kama'aina family-owned restaurants — have dwindled over the last few decades in Hawai'i as real estate values, changing consumer preferences and other pressures have driven such enterprises out of business.

Since 1960, close to 30 bowling alleys have shut down statewide. Last year, it was Kam Bowl in Kalihi, also known as Mak Bowl, that closed its doors. Next year, another O'ahu bowling alley, Pali Lanes in Kailua, plans to cease operation.

On the Big Island, Hilo Lanes is a 40-lane bowling center that's been in business for close to 50 years.

The facility featuring old-style wooden lanes, has a nostalgic atmosphere for many bowlers, while others consider the facilities tired.

Jared Kaufmann, bowling coach at Maryknoll School and bowling program coordinator for the Interscholastic League of Honolulu, said new bowling alleys are needed to serve kids and seniors who continue to bowl in strong numbers.

"Bowling is still very active," he said. "People like to bowl."

Kaufmann said the state high school bowling tournament, which holds championship events every year on a different island, said the rotation had to drop Maui after one of the two bowling alleys closed there some years ago.

Still, Kaufmann isn't surprised that some entrepreneurs are trying to open bowling alleys in Hawai'i where high land values make it particularly difficult, adding that the plan in Hilo to integrate bowling with other entertainment activities is a smart strategy.

"The savior for bowling alleys is making them part of entertainment complexes," he said. "That's the secret to success. That's the only way they're going to survive."