Alternative to current Katie Bell's Plan
 

Went to Cattle Barron before they changed it. Katie Bell was packed. I guess people wanted to dance for the last time. It still is such a shame that a unique place like current Katie Bells will be no longer. Wish we could keep Katie Bells as is but let it open to residents and non-residents and change Cattle Barron to a member club like the old English club atmosphere with possibly a piano bar. Yes, high ceiling has to be closed for more space up stairs. If need be, charge monthly dues and minimum food bill like some private clubs. Club Corp., the largest club management group based in Texas could run the management. Katie Bell is an unique place and sad to lose such a "historic" place.

Cattle Baron's has already tried the Members Only route and it failed.

KathieI. Thanks for agreeing with me. To The Villagers, the place is indeed a "historic" sight, even a sacred sight. It feels like how I felt when Singapore or Chinese governments started tearing down old quaint buildings for the sake of modernity. They stopped doing that in recent. Katie Bell is one place I take visiting guests when showing the uniqueness of The Villages.

Maybe this move was done now because Cattle Baron needs a remodel. We have been there many times and felt it could use some extensive updating. It's dark and old. I agree that it's a shame because I always loved the look and atmosphere of Katie Bells.

Keep beatin' that horse....

This was already tried and, as always, everyone was all mad and upset and it didn't work !!
Just FYI, there is already a thread or 2 running on Katie Belles.

The reason Cattle Baron is in dire need of a remodel is because the developer allowed the venue to get to this condition. TV has a history of letting their commercial buildings go until some of them, for example the Santiago restaurant, have to be condemned and torn down.

The Villages had nothing to do with the condition of Santiago. That was privately owned.

[QUOTE=Bonny;1047178]The Villages had nothing to do with the condition of Santiago. That was privately owned.[/QUO



How did TV sell the building to the Amenity Authority Committee last year for $350,000, if it did not own the building?

Because the owners walked out. They didn't want to spend the money to do repairs.

Yup. It's that villain, the "rich" developer, always there to blame everything under the sun upon. When the bar-restaurant at Orange Blossom Hills Golf & CC was closed because the leasing restauranteur did not keep it maintained and clean, one would have thought from reading here that life in TV would never be the same again.

But that is far from reality upon re-opening with the new restauranteur running it.

IMO: No poster on here is privy to the contents of these lease agreements. Some tenants thought the owner should do the maintenance, and the owner thought otherwise. These owners (OBGCC and Santiago) just packed up shop and moved on.

There's not much left to beat.:sigh:

We can beat the horse. We can cajole it. Heck, we can even bribe it. But it is a done deal. This wasn't a case of, "hey, folks, we're planning on some major renovations of Katie Belle's and closing Cattle Baron's. What do y'all think?" This was a case of, "these are our plans. If you don't like it, too dang bad." We were told what would be happening, not asked.

I know we Villagers are an entitled lot and we truly do think we have a say so in what the developers do here, but this is not a democracy. It is a business. I may not like some of the choices made since I've moved here (okay, most of them) but I do respect the fact that it ain't my nickel. if they feel this is the right move, so be it. We'll learn to live with the changes. Newbies will have no concept of what has been lost. And life will go on.