WARREN — A landmark business in the community for decades — the site of plenty of first dates, family outings and outdoor recreation — has closed, not for the season, but this time for good.

Putt-Putt of Warren and the Warren Batting Cages will not reopen in 2025, its owners Michael and Roberta Cykon announced.

The property at 3937 Youngstown Road SE is in the process of being sold to Klaben Ford of Warren, the putt-putt’s next door neighbor, which has plans to expand the dealership.

The miniature golf opened in 1962 a bit further west on Youngstown Road SE and across the street from where it is now. It was in 1977 when Thomas Cykon and a partner — the owner of the business — opened the batting cages where Putt-Putt of Warren is, close to Youngstown Road SE. The putt-putt center, which already had moved from its original location, moved again in 1985, this time to where it sits today. The batting cages subsequently were relocated to the rear of the property.

Thomas’ son, Michael, and his wife Roberta took control of both about nine years ago.

Life and business forces — from the recent death of Roberta’s mother to long seasons taking their toll on the husband and wife, to challenges finding employees to the changing attitudes of customers less interested in what the facilities had to offer — led to the decision to close.

“We got an offer we basically couldn’t refuse and who knows if it would still be there by the time we were ready to retire, so there you go,” Michael Cykon said.

The couple planned to hold onto the business for 10 more years, when they planned to retire, “but based on the conditions in the area and what people have previously tried to offer for the place, we didn’t want to end up at the time of retiring and trying to sell the place and getting nothing for it,” he said.

Certain aspects of the decision were a “no-brainer,” but others were more difficult, like the end of something that has been in Michael Cykon’s life since he was 4 years old.

“It’s going to be hard knowing it’s going to be destroyed,” he said.

The transaction should be finalized by the middle of January.

Klaben general manager Michael Klaben Jr. said the intent at the moment is to use the property for vehicle storage.

“We’re out of room and we’re working on growing, so it kind of worked out for both of us,” he said. “They have been great neighbors for a long time, we’ve gotten along very well. It was just kind of the right timing for the both of us.”

The dealership has been at 3853 Youngstown Road SE since 1998, moving east from where it was at the corner of Youngstown Road SE and Willard Avenue SE. Klaben Auto Group has existed since 1973.

Klaben said there’s no real rush to remove the miniature golf course and batting cages, but “I want to work with them and make it as convenient as possible,” he said, adding the business’ closure is a bit tough for him, too, because of the memories he has playing there.

As for Thomas Cykon, his son said his dad is 85 and in good health, but it’s time to fully retire.

“He has been talking about, if you get the right offer, take it,” Michael Cykon said. “I’m sure he’ll be sad to see it go because he has put as much of his life into it as I have … (but) he’s ready to retire.”