LAPLACE — River Bend Bowling Alley has a new owner, the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Mike Tregre said the Sheriff’s Office officially acquired the building last week.

“We were showing interest in the building before anyone else,” he said. “We’re going out there Thursday to clean up around the outside. I plan to put up a fence to enclose the property then set up security.”

Unfortunately, for residents who were hoping the bowling alley would be returning, it’s not. The building is going to be used for law enforcement training.

Housed at 947 Cambridge Drive, the building is located in District 6 Councilman Larry Snyder’s district. Snyder said he is glad the property has finally been purchased for use.

“It’s good for the community,” Snyder said. “We were concerned about the building going to waste. If the Sheriff wants to do something with it, that’s great.”

Snyder also said he couldn’t think of a better place to have a Sheriff’s Office presence than in Cambridge.

“I’m sure they’re going to have cars around all the time, and sometimes those types of things prevent crime,” Snyder said. “I think it will have a positive impact on the community as far as some of the crime that goes on back there.”

In the past, Snyder has tried to get the St. John Recreation Department to buy the property to repurpose the building.

“I’m not upset it’s not going to be a bowling alley,” he said. “I thought it would be the best thing for it because it was a bowling alley before. But really I just wanted to get the building back in commerce, to put something there, to see some life there. The Sheriff’s Office is going to do that.”