El Santiago???
 

Anyone know what, if anything, is happening at the old El Santiago Club?

That is the site of the new Costco coming soon to The Villages!:wave:

AAC had a meeting today regarding getting bids for the work of demolishing and rebuilding. There is a very recent article on the front page of today's on-line news.

Where can I find the article? I've done a google search without turning it up.

Too funny!

This is from the minutes of the December 10, 2014, meeting: Ms. Tutt provided a status update on the following capital projects:
 El Santiago Recreation Center: Seven (7) submittals to the Request for Proposal (RFP) have
been received and the Selection Committee is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 and the recommendation for award of the RFP will be included on the Committee’s January 7, 2014 agenda. Based on the analysis conducted for the Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment (FF&E) line item there has been an increase. Staff anticipates the cost of the project will be close to the estimate provided, but the final cost will depend on the Selection Committee’s recommendation.



This is a story form June 15, 2014 By Meta Minton in the online news:
Plans for the El Santiago Recreation Center are being flip-flopped to provide for a better view from a covered patio.
Plans for the recreation center had been submitted and approved earlier this year. But recently those involved in the project realized it would be better to have the patio look out at the golf course.
The change was approved this past week at the Amenity Authority Committee.
The recreation center will be constructed at the current site of the old El Santiago Club restaurant.
It’s been a long and often angry journey to this point for the El Santiago Recreation Center.
First the AAC purchased the building from the developer for$350,000 only to discover the building is beyond repair. So the building will be demolished and the new recreation center will be constructed at the site.
But for months, angry residents fought to restore a restaurant at the site.
As a compromise, it was decided the covered patio will be an area where snacks will be served by a concessionaire.


“But we haven’t had any luck finding someone to do that,” said AAC member Carl Bell.

Here is the article from the on-line villages news today:

AAC delays Santiago project over nearly $200,000 price difference
January 7, 2015 By Meta Minton

The old El Santiago Club buildilng.
The Amenity Authority Committee voted 4-1 Wednesday to take additional time to reconsider requests for proposal for the demolition and reconstruction of the El Santiago Recreation Center.

The vote came after discussion as to why the District staff recommended Mark Cook Builders whose proposal for the project was nearly $200,000 higher than the contractor who came in with the lowest price.

Cook’s proposed price is $1,774,608.

Emmett Sapp Builders came in with the lowest price of $1,584,000.

In all, seven contractors submitted proposals.

Sapp appealed directly to AAC members in their meeting Wednesday morning. He said he understood that members might be concerned as his proposal was so much lower than the recommend bid from Mark Cook Builders.

Sapp offered to explain his price to AAC members. However, he was told there was a process for protest of the request for proposal recommendation, but the AAC meeting was not the proper forum for that protest. Sapp was the only one of the seven contractors at the meeting.

District Administrative Operations Manager Diane Tucker said the recommendation was made by a five-member panel of judges using score sheets working with a variety of criteria including references and past work history.

Villages resident, including Dick Curtis, rose to question the process and suggested the process was fixed.

“C’mon folks,” Curtis said. “It’s not transparent.”

However, District Manager Janet Tutt countered that all District documents are offered for public inspection and that the process is one used widely throughout local government.

AAC members, concerned about the public’s perception of the work, opted to tap on the brakes.

“I have heard so much from residents about the costs of the project. I think if we awarded a bid that was 10 percent higher, there would be a concern,” AAC member John Wilcox said.

He made a motion, seconded by AAC member Don Deakin, to table the matter for 30 days pending further review.

Deakin resurrected the controversial history of the project which included the purchase of the El Santiago Club restaurant building. In 2013, the AAC paid the Developer $350,000 for the restaurant building, only to later discover the building was in poor condition and would have to be demolished. The demolition is part of the proposal that was tabled in the 4-1 vote.

Deakin, Wilcox, Carl Bell and Lowell Barker voted in the majority. AAC Chair Ann Forrest cast the lone dissenting vote,

If you google her name you might find the on-line e-news,

Thank goodness we have the Daily Sun to investigate and report on situations like this.

bwahahahahaha!

That wasn't nice.

Ba baaa. Bwaaahahhaaaaaaa 😂

Full article.
Daily Sun Thursday, January 8, 2015
Section C, Local News, Page C4.
Cheap shot was too soon!

Thanks everyone. I did see it today. Not the information I wanted to hear, but at least I know.

Wish they would bring back the old restaurant
It was great food and the with friendliest group of folks around :beer3:

Costco! When?

No Costco. It would get in the way of the indoor sports pool.