Rachel Dahl
A Fallon landmark is entering a new chapter as Oasis Community Church plans to convert the former Oasis Bowling alley on South Taylor Street into a 500+ seat auditorium and community gathering space.
Pastor Caleb Szymanski shared the vision behind the project, which includes not only a new worship auditorium but also a teen center, expanded youth facilities, and future possibilities to serve the broader community.
“We’re already outgrowing our current building,” said Szymanski. “We’ve seen consistent growth — 15 to 20 percent every year for the last six years — and we’re now regularly seeing over 500 people attend on Sundays.” That growth prompted the church to consider expanding beyond their existing 20,000-square-foot facility, located directly behind the bowling alley.
The new space will allow Oasis to move its adult services to the renovated auditorium and dedicate its current facility to children’s ministries, which now serve more than 130 kids each week. But the transformation won’t stop there.
Plans are in the works to convert the former bar into a teen center for junior high and high school students, offering youth group services, a safe gathering place and, potentially, access to free or low-cost lunches and tutoring. “We want to create opportunities for students in Fallon who might need a place to go, something positive to be part of,” Szymanski said.
In keeping with the church’s longstanding tradition, the space will also be open to community groups, free of charge, as long as their mission aligns with the church’s values. Oasis has never charged for the use of its building, hosting everything from weddings and funerals to the annual CAPS yard sale.
Beyond Sunday services, Szymanski hopes the new auditorium will help meet a need in Fallon that’s often overlooked. “To my knowledge, there’s no auditorium in town that seats more than 350, other than the 3C Arena. So sometimes it’s hard for the high school or performing arts groups to find a place that really works,” he said. “We hope this space can become a venue for ballet recitals, concerts, and other events that serve the community.”
Initial renderings of the redesigned space are expected soon, and the church hopes to share those with the public through a video and social media campaign. Renovations are expected to cost around $2 million, and fundraising efforts are underway. If all goes well, Szymanski hopes to see the doors open by Easter 2027.
The building has stood in Fallon since 1958. “We’ve tried to be respectful,” Szymanski said. “Some folks have considered it a landmark. We even reached out to the museum to see if they’d like to preserve any artifacts from the alley.” While the original bowling operations had long struggled, and the building is in need of significant repair, Oasis intends to retain as much of the existing structure as possible. According to information they’ve found, Szymanski said, the main frame of the building was originally a hangar relocated from the base.
While the news of the bowling alley’s closure was met with understandable disappointment from some residents, the church’s plans have received broad support.
“It’s a big endeavor,” said Szymanski. “But our congregation was 100 percent in favor of moving forward. We believe this will create something really special, not just for us, but for the whole community.”
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