methinks there may be a little bit of making a banquet out of a ham sandwich!!

If the commercial property was profitable, nothing would happen to the space.

There doesn’t seem to be a huge demand from tenants. Likely because of all the development along 441 - so many options. Not really an issue along 466/466A/44.

Huh???

"The Developer Trying To Kill Spanish Springs"? Please explain how it will benefit the developer to kill Spanish Springs. Makes no sense to me but maybe someone can draw a color picture explanation. If anything it is the Villagers who are killing the town square by not patronizing the businesses that are there.

Research how cities are trying to revitalize downtown areas. These studies have shown that for the downtown area of a city to survive is that there need to be people living in the downtown to patronize the businesses. The downtown area of Nashville, Tennessee used to be a ghost town after 5:00PM when all the office workers quit for the day. A developer realized the opportunity and built a high rise apartment building right in the downtown and all of a sudden more stores opened in previously vacant buildings. Since then more condos and apartment buildings have been built and a whole lot of people are patronizing the downtown businesses and many new businesses have opened. Lots of people like to live where the "action" is and being right on the square appeals to them. Just because you wouldn't like it doesn't mean others feel that way.

As to the comment that after 11:00 PM Spanish Springs is totally empty, so are the other town squares. This is a community of old folks and most of us can't or don't want to party much after 10:00PM.

Had another thought. My understanding is the second floor of these building were originally set up for businesses but apparently there wasn't enough customer support by Villagers to patronize potential business people renting the space. So is the developer supposed to suck it up and eat the revenue loss? That sounds like great business advice.

So many wannabe financial and community development experts on this forum.

We go to Spanish Springs 1-3X a week. There is not any open space for new development.

Just reread that comment it was after 11 am not pm.

Well, I think there are a few old dogs that just hate the developers. And they seem to have moved here so they could constantly point out how the devs are a bunch of lying criminals. Why else would so many that hate this place so much stay?

It is almost fun to watch it go from, "Are they trying to close SS?" to suppositions that, They don't care about residents they just want to make their bonuses.

I don't think the developers are suffering by having to eat canned tuna and government cheese! They have plenty of $$$.

Yep, you got it, they have plenty of $$$. Doesn't mean you have any claim to it. There are people living in cardboard boxes under bridges. They look at you living in the villages and believe that you have plenty of $$$, why don't you share it with them?

Envy, one of the seven deadly sins.

I'm opposed to the apartments in the former Katie Bell's building. In an ACTUAL village, where there's an active police presence (usually on foot patrol) and the majority of the shops are for locals rather than tourists, including a small grocery shop or bodega, it'd make sense to have apartments over the shops. Not just one building's worth, but many or even most. I've lived in a village, I've visited friends who've lived in villages or village-like neighborhoods. None of them had just 7-10 apartments over a single building, with no police presence, no assigned off-street parking for residents, no children, no playgrounds, no schools in walking distance.

The Villages Town Square is a tourist area. It's a facade, where visitors can buy overpriced resort-wear at 50% off, making it only somewhat overpriced instead of ridiculously overpriced. And live music every night, weather permitting. With twice-monthly "events" that shut down street parking around the square for many hours each day of the event. It's not suited for residential units.

That's not hate for the developers. It's just pragmatism. Either it's going to be a poor business decision which will harm the facade and turn it into something completely different than what it was designed to be, thus alienating anyone who DOES live in the area and enjoys it...

or it's an intentional business decision to turn it into something completely different from what it was designed to be.

The building that currently houses the MVP fitness center was initially intended to be a small hotel. I think that actually would've been an awesome idea. If that had happened, then there would be more sense in building apartments on the upper floors of the shops. That'd be the anchor of "people sleeping at the square" to justify it. But that never happened. The hotel is down the block from the Square, next to the townhouses.

Now that the theatre is closed with not even a hint that they might even consider maybe re-opening some day in the next decade, and Gator's Dockside is closing early every night because they can't find anyone who wants to work for them at the closing shift, the Square has lost some revenue overall. Reserving parking spaces on the street in front of the Katie Belle building will just drive even more people away. 7-10 apartment's worth of residents won't change that.

The Spanish Springs Sales Office is at 1120 Main St, corner of Main and Paige Pl.

ENVY yah right. "Doesn't mean you have any claim to it." NEVER said I did. "There are people living in cardboard boxes under bridges." Plenty of jobs available. Why don't they get a job, save some money, retire, so they can live in the Villages like most of us here have done! " Why don't you share it with them?" You have absolutely no clue what I do with the money I have earned and I do not need to justify it to YOU!

The developer bullied Lady Lake by warning of extended litigation if they did not consent to this trafistary action. The developer would spend Lady Lake to insolvency by continued litigation if they did not comply. So what’s next another situation like La Hacienda county club , screw the residents let’s make money.

Slightly off subject but I'm appalled at HOW LONG it has been for the freakin construction zone they've set up around the movie theater at SS to be dealt with. Why are they allowed to have an eyesore for YEARS, yet no home property can have a lawn ornament that may be offensive looking?!!

Clueless