Chicago's Last Black-Owned Bowling Alley, Skyway Lanes, Set to Close
Skyway Lanes, Chicago’s Last Black-Owned Bowling Alley, to Close After Community Support Fades In the Jeffery Manor neighborhood, Brunetta Hill-Corley announced in March 2025 that her late father’s bowling alley was struggling. The announcement spark...
Black News 
Skyway Lanes, Chicago’s Last Black-Owned Bowling Alley, to Close After Community Support Fades
In the Jeffery Manor neighborhood, Brunetta Hill-Corley announced in March 2025 that her late father’s bowling alley was struggling. The announcement sparked a wave of community support, raising more than $25,000 to address overdue repairs.
Despite these efforts, Skyway Lanes—Chicago’s last Black-owned bowling alley—is set to close permanently on April 26. The historic venue at 9915 S. Torrence Avenue has operated since the 1950s and will close after more than seven decades in the community.
“The community did everything they could do,” said Jarell Corley, Hill-Corley’s son. “Keeping that momentum required time, energy, money, and expertise that we didn’t have.”
At its peak, Chicago had more than 100 bowling alleys. Today, fewer than a dozen remain, with only three located on the South Side. Operators face rising costs, declining patronage, and increasing property values that often outweigh the viability of maintaining aging facilities.
The family has also faced personal challenges. Skyway matriarch Mary F. Hill passed away in December, and Hill-Corley suffered a brain aneurysm in September. Jarell Corley, stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army, supported his family from abroad.
While the fundraiser brought a temporary surge in business, attendance declined after four months. Donations were used to resurface the parking lot, rebuild the front counter, and purchase new equipment, but larger renovations remained out of reach.
The family is now liquidating assets and plans to sell the 35,000-square-foot property. Corley has not found a buyer interested in maintaining the space as a bowling alley.
“It’s been a fight for some time,” Corley said. “Every community deserves to have a quality of life, including entertainment and a safe place to have fun. They deserve a bowling alley.”
Hill-Corley took over the business in 2016 at the request of her father, Johnnie Hill, who had built a legacy of acquiring and revitalizing struggling South Side businesses. Skyway Lanes was the only business he retained long-term, serving as both a community hub and a source of employment.
After Hill’s passing, the alley began to lose longtime customers and league participants, especially following a two-year closure during the pandemic. Rising taxes, debt obligations, and declining participation made continued operation unsustainable.
“We’re in a good place,” Corley said. “But it’s sad we have to close after trying to maintain.”
A farewell celebration will take place from noon to 7 p.m. on April 26, with discounted games and rentals, giving the community one last opportunity to gather.
Corley expressed appreciation for the organizations, schools, and local teams that supported the business during its final year.
“You can go to any bowling alley and hear the same story,” Corley said. “‘We’re hurting.’”
