Among the improvements planned for Merle Hay Mall, the city’s first shopping center and like many retail centers, one that seems under constant attack from shifting consumer tastes, is expansion of Merle Hay Lanes. Liz Holland, CEO of the family operation that opened and remains the majority owner of mall, said the venerable, below-grade bowling alley occupies a secure spot. When the mall opened in 1959, the lower level was a bomb shelter outfitted with bunk beds and stocked with canned goods. At the time, federal tax credits were available for civil defense rated structures. Holland’s grandfather, Joseph Abbell, took advantage of the credits to help finance Merle Hay Mall. “In 1972 bomb shelters weren’t so in anymore so we built the bowling alley and garden court,” Holland said.