-- Carole S., Central Point

Shelved, Carole? Hardly. Construction of the new $7 million Lava Lanes, billed as one of the biggest and glitziest bowling alleys in the Northwest, is well under way.

"We're rolling," says Lava Lanes developer Jay Audia, a partner in Bend-based J.A. Investments, which also owns bowling alleys in Bend and Roseburg. "We broke ground last month, and we're pouring cement this week."

At 54,000 square feet, the 40-lane "bowling center" will include a snack bar, an arcade and a 48-screen sports bar, as well a state-of-the-art 7,000-watt stereo and laser-fog system for weekly "cosmic" bowling.

Audia is particularly proud of the sports bar, which includes plans for a half-court basketball court. Ten of the 48 TVs will be wide-screen, he adds.

"It's not just a bowling center. It's an attraction," he says. "We spare no expense."

Medford's Lava Lanes was patterned after the company's bowling alley in Bend, which is also called Lava Lanes. Audia says the Bend operation was named runnerup for best new bowling center in the world by a trade journal.

"Our Medford facility is a lot larger than Bend," he says. "We expect it to be the best new center in the world."

If all goes as planned, construction should be finished by early August, he adds.

"We want to be ready for winter leagues," he says. "So far, everything's on schedule."