Bowling and arcade aficionados, get ready to up your game in Austin! The city's anticipated public market is taking a sharp turn away from artisan cheese and organic veggies, gearing up instead to become a buzzing entertainment hub. After an agonizing standstill, the former warehouse primed for the St. Elmo Public Market will now see a new life as a Pins Mechanical Company location, featuring a smorgasbord of leisure activities including bowling, classic arcade games, and bar services.

The project, which has been dangling just out of reach since its proposal in 2015, has found its fairy godmother in SomeraRoad, an Ohio-based wizard who's decided to quickly revamp the dormant space. "We've turned over a lot of stones looking for the right project in the right neighborhood," SomeraRoad's Brock Kenyon shared with KVUE, "The St. Elmo Public Market has incredible potential, and we’re excited to drive a new chapter for this project with Pins Mechanical."

The original hope for the market, which was to emulate renowned spots like Seattle's Pike Place and San Francisco's Ferry Building, seems to have been bowled over by the new plan. But the good news is, the redesigned space promises to pack a hefty dose of fun. The Pins Mechanical layout plans to feature an array of 24 duckpin bowling lanes, a lineup of over 30 pinball machines, and a collection of classic arcade throwbacks.

Forget leisurely strolls among local goods; future visitors can expect to eagerly navigate between thrills inside a space that’s been cleverly redesigned to flow from indoors to out. SomeraRoad is betting big on bringing more than just a bowling alley to Austin—imagine multiple bars and even two mezzanines destined for private soirees and events, all amidst an array of 40 vintage video game titles like "NBA Jam" and "Frogger", as specified in a statement obtained by KVUE. Construction hammers are set to start swinging before this year's end, with the sights set squarely on a 2024 opening.