Unable to get a loan to finance the project, the would-be developer of a bowling alley off U.S. 61 North said Tuesday that his company has put its $4.5 million plan on indefinite hold.

“We’re still going to do it,” Henry Patel said. “It’s just bad times right now. It’s going to happen as soon as the economy gets better.”

Patel said his company, Vicksburg Entertainment Group LLC, has asked “three or five” banks for loans. “The financing is the only thing that’s holding it up,” he said. Local subcontractors are ready to work, he said.

Patel announced plans to build a 20-lane bowling alley and video arcade in February 2008. He said the business would include additional attractions, including a bar.

“Those plans haven’t changed,” he said Tuesday.

Patel’s company plans to build the bowling alley on two acres on Holt Collier Drive, off U.S. 61 North near the Vicksburg city limits. The tract is located near other businesses, Fox Pizza, Animal Medical Clinic and Sol Azteca Mexican restaurant among them, all of which have sprung up nearby since 2003.

Warren County has been without a bowling alley since 2007 when Red Carpet Lanes on Clay Street closed after decades because of declining business and structural problems. 

Several bowling venues are located within Hinds County, including one in Clinton. 

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Contact Ben Bryant at bbryant@vicksburgpost.com