HASTINGS, Neb. – A developer has the green light to begin renovating the old Ponderosa Bowl building in Hastings.

The former bowling alley at the intersection of W 22nd St. and N. Kansas Ave. has been vacant since 1996.

At Monday's Hastings city council meeting, council members passed a motion 7-0-1 to approve a conditional use permit for developer Mother Lake LLC. 

Seven of the eight members voted 'yes', while Shawn Hartmann abstained from voting. 

Development documents show that Hastings HVAC, which Hartmann is the president of, currently owns the building. He said supports the developer, but would abstain from any conversation about the project until the ownership transfer is final. 

The developer, Mother Lake LLC, is planning to remodel the building into a medical office building.

Documents show the developer plans to renovate the existing 23,000 square foot structure and convert it into office space
with three separate bays. 

Attorney Jordan Adam spoke on behalf of the developer and told the city council that exact plans for the building are still in initial stages. 

“We’re keeping all options open right now but certainly to kind of keep the development of the Hastings Medical Park, we’d like to keep it as medical space right now,” Adam said. “We’re having negotiations and discussions with potential tenants at this point in time to be there, but we’re really excited about some potential prospects.”

Next, public hearings will be held to see if the project is eligible for tax increment financing.