El Santiago building survey

[CFrance]

I received an email, saying among other things:

"The Villages Rec Dept is requesting input, via printed & submitted survey, on the proposed conversion of the El Santiago building to a recreation center."

What does anyone know about this? We're fairly new here. What was the El Santiago building previous to this plan?

The email I received was from the pickleball community asking us to fill our a survey and recommend an indoor pickleball facility along with indoor hockey, volleyball, and other sports. Personally, I think this is ridiculous. These are all sports that can be played outside year-round. We've done it. What we really need is an indoor swimming pool.

Any thoughts?

[DonH57]

We've been told it was a restaurant. If they plan to turn the old building into a new recreation center it won't be that much bigger than the present one unless they add on to it or build a new one.

[Ooper]

It was a great Key West themed restaurant and bar with live "Jimmy Buffet" style bands on the deck some afternoons. It's been empty now for a few years.

[BritParrothead]

It was a lovely bar, restaurant ok, ambience, wonderful.

[gmeloni]

How about a billiards room?

[Barefoot]

It was a great Key West themed restaurant and bar with live "Jimmy Buffet" style bands on the deck some afternoons. It's been empty now for a few years.

It was a lovely bar, restaurant ok, ambience, wonderful.

It was a great restaurant and I'm still hoping it will reopen.

[DonH57]

We went to the meeting this morning at Savanah rec center. There was a power point presentation of the existing buildings and people asked questions and gave opinions. The way I understand it there are two more days to turn in a survey or do it online. I don't have info in front of me to tell you what entities were putting this meeting as we are fairly new to the villages and its politics.

[janmcn]

Majority of residents at meeting say they want restaurant back in El Santiago Club - ************** (http://www.**************.com/fate-of-el-santiago-club-to-be-subject-of-aug-30-meeting/)


Read all about today's meeting. The majority attending want the building returned to a restaurant.

[Yorio]

I loved the restaurant at El Santiago. It was one of a kind here in The Villages. I would call it a hide out, so secluded, so only The Villagers came, it seemed like. Was that it's demise? Reminded me of a Tiki Hut and Parrothead music was played live. I miss it but doubt a restaurant will be forthcoming. There was a mention about an indoor pool. We've talked about it often. If there is enough lot, perhaps. It's secluded and away from congestion. It could easily be made into a speakeasy.:):)

[graciegirl]

The recreation department now owns it. It was bought by the AAC which was formed as a result of the law suit against the developer which was brought by Elaine Dreidame and two lawyers from the POA?

So..If the AAC wasn't formed...and things would be run like they are south of 466 then who would say what would happen in that building?

The recreation department runs all of the rec centers but they don't do restaurants, is that what I am hearing?

But people still want it to be a restaurant, even though the last one failed? It seems that there are a lot of different opinions as to why it failed.

Some will always say it is the developers fault no matter what. The same people will say it over and over. I learned this morning that someone who hasn't even moved here yet wants to make clear she is NOT on the side of the developer. As I pointed out before, more times than not, you can sort of tell which side of the aisle people sit on by how they feel about the developer. That's o.k. with me. It just took a while to figure it out..

The truth is...I don't understand the issue at all. I don't understand the AAC at all. I don't understand WHO would run the restaurant, hire the cooks, the staff, pay the bills, establish the menu..if it is going to be run by the recreation department, with no experience in running restaurants.

Doesn't seem like a plan that is headed for success.

Or am I missing something really big here?

[DonH57]

Thanks for posting that article Janmcn. It pretty well summed up the meeting. If they make the old restaurant building into a new recreation center they should make the old one into a snack bar facility like the one at Nancy Lopez CC having a limited menu and beverages.It would be great for people using the pool or coming in off the golf courses. I would like to see something like that done.

[janmcn]

Thanks for posting that article Janmcn. It pretty well summed up the meeting. If they make the old restaurant building into a new recreation center they should make the old one into a snack bar facility like the one at Nancy Lopez CC having a limited menu and beverages.It would be great for people using the pool or coming in off the golf courses. I would like to see something like that done.


You're welcome Don. It's interesting that the majority of people at the meeting want the building returned to a restaurant, but restaurant is not one of the choices in the survey.

If the recreation department wanted a restaurant there, they could run it the same way the developer ran it by finding a tenant who would run the restaurant while they collected the rent.

The next one on their hit list is Tierra Del Sol, which will leave Hacienda as the only country club restaurant in that neck of the woods.

[DonH57]

There were lots of questions raised about why the survey did not have a restaurant option listed and to me it looked like a general use form. It seemed to me when the subject of past restaurants failing in the villages the fingers started to point to the developer. We have only lived here a few months and it don't make good business since to have establishments fail where you are trying to attract people.

[Maiercab]

Any word on what was decided on use of the old El Santiago restaurant? I heard a decision was supposed to be made yesterday at noon. (A Sunday at noon? - I think I was mis-informed.)

[DonH57]

The deadline to turn in the surveys is today and according to the recreation department a decision is months down the road. That is what I remember.