News photo by Josh Jambor Renovations continue inside the former Boys and Girls Club location in Alpena. A new pool hall and axe throwing business named Kraken Racks is expected to open in the next few months.

ALPENA – A familiar piece of local history will have a vibrant new purpose since Shaun Rogers, an Alpena native and longtime resident, purchased the former Boys and Girls Club located in Alpena. He said it will be named Kraken Racks, a modern pool hall with axe throwing and six dartboards.

The building, which long served as a hub for youth activities in Alpena, had been largely vacant since the Boys and Girls Club moved into its new location on Miller Street in the summer of 2023. Rogers recognized its potential due to its central location and solid structure, breathing new life into the property while preserving its community legacy.

“The place is basically set up for what I need, I just have to do some cosmetic work,” Rogers said. “I actually wrote the business plan for this pool hall idea 23 years ago with another city in mind but that fell through, so I took that plan and reworked it for this location.”

Kraken Racks will feature over a dozen high-quality pool tables, a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and a kitchen to serve food.

“We are going to start with 16 pool tables, and then we will add on from there, that will occupy two-thirds of the gym, and we will utilize the remainder of the gym for other stuff,” Rogers said. “There will be a small bar and a small kitchen as well, and we will serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.”

“This will be a family friendly place; my biggest goal is to revitalize the pool scene locally with youth leagues and getting the younger crowd interested in shooting pool,” Rogers added.

Currently, Rogers and his team are removing a back wall for the purpose of creating a space for axe throwing. He also discussed some of the other renovations either currently ongoing or planned for the near future.

“Basically, we have the rooms set up for what we would like to use them for,” Rogers explained. “We are revamping the whole building, we must change the bathrooms to accommodate for women, there is currently one stall in one bathroom for women.”

Additionally, there are plans to transform the upstairs of the building into a room people can rent out for special occasions with a large deck (60 feet by 40 feet) so customers can enjoy a view overlooking the Thunder Bay River.

Rogers has owned and operated numerous businesses throughout the area since 2004, while also helping the city and the county with various projects.

“I do a lot of work for the city and the county, we are contracted to care for over 150 rentals, we are constantly remodeling houses, this kind of work is second nature to us,” Rogers said. “I have worked on a lot of commercial buildings as well and helped out a lot in the area.”

An exact timetable for opening the new pool hall is unclear at this time, however, Rogers and his team are hoping they can open for business within the next few months.

“Unfortunately, my crews are swamped right now, we work in 30 different counties, but if I can find some additional help, I would like to have the place open in two months,” Rogers said.

“I believe we haven’t had a pool hall in eight or nine years, and I want families to come here and have a good experience,” Rogers said. “I am hoping to offer a little bit of everything and hopefully we can get a lot of people to check out the place and enjoy themselves.”

Josh Jambor can be reached at jjambor@thealpenanews.com.