Bolera Caribe

Bolera Caribe is a bowling center located in barrio Coto Laurel in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico, where bowling competitions for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games (CACG) were held. The venue is located at the intersection of PR-506 and PR-52. The Center is owned by Bolera Caribe, Inc., a private company. The bowling center was inaugurated in November 2004.HistoryThe Bolera de Ponce, as Bolera Caribe was previously called, was inaugurated in Ponce in the mid 1950s in the Mariani sector of barrio Primero of Ponce. As the 1990s progressed, the neighborhood where the Bolera was located showed signs of aging and began to decay. This was a problem for the company, as it was inconsistent with the image it wanted to portray and the type of clientele it was seeking to continue attracting.Due to overcrowding in the area, parking also became a problem for the Bolera. Thus, as overflow, guests made use of the parking area of a shopping plaza across the street from the Bolera. However, this resulted in several breakins that gave the Bolera a bad reputation as an entertainment destination. To solve the problem, the company attempted to sell the building and move elsewhere, but no buyer could be found. The business continued to lose revenue for several years. And a result the bowling alley opted for closing down while seeking another location. It closed down in the late 1990s, leaving the old building vacant.