MOHALL, ND ( KXNET ) — There’s a new hot spot in a small town that’s exciting local children — The Hideout on 112 West Main Street in Mohall.

What was an old MTI building is now a community center where kids and parents can have fun thanks to a project the MLS Community Improvement Association has been working on for about 5 years now.

What has taken years? A lot of remodeling, and a lot of donations. A portion of this 501-C3 nonprofit in Mohall is now up and running. There’s a fully stocked arcade room, a rec room for birthday parties, and a bar for parents and adults.

The biggest hurdle has been the ongoing search for funding for the remodeling and other projects. Members on the board for the MLS Community Improvement Association say that they need people to come use the space and donate in order to get the bowling alley up and rolling.

“There’s quite a bit more space. We’ve got enough room for about four bowling lanes. We want to do a sports simulator where we can do trap shooting, golf, batting practice as well as rent out some studio space. We actually currently rent out to some local people that can work on any project that they want they can just use it as a studio,” said Steve Schmidt, who is a board member with the MLS Community Improvement Association.

So far, they have the lanes and ball returns, but once again, they need community support to do that. However, the children in Mohall are already excited to be in the arcade.

“I get really excited to play games,” said Olivia Johnson from Mohall. “I like the car game because it kind of feels like I’m driving a real car.”

Parents can get an arcade card that allows them to put money on it and reuse later if needed. The games cost one dollar per play at most — and some are even free. Every penny spent there goes right back into the project itself.

The claw machine is a big hit with local kids who say it’s got some luck if you know the right trick.

“I got pretty lucky the other day. I just played a few times and I just got two in one,” exclaimed Ava Johnson from Mohall.

That wasn’t the last time Ava got lucky; both she and her sister got two in one go after we filmed their interview. So, the claw machine is good for those who know the trick.

The Hideout also has pizza and beverages for kids. Schmidt said that this is something the community has needed for a long time.

“I remember growing up, we had “Dad’s Spare Time” and me and my friends we spent almost every day up there. We got an order of fries, shot pool, played a few arcade games — it was just another space for us to hang out, and we weren’t out running around and causing trouble,” Schmidt said with a laugh.

If you would like to check out the new community center in Mohall and support the local nonprofit, you can head there and check it out in person, or you can check out their Facebook page .

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