[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

How many people that complain about the SS restaurants closing bypass these restaurants and travel 5 minutes away to any number of restaurants because there either cheaper, better or for more variety . The SS restaurants need to be more interesting to compete with the highway . I go to almost every show at the Sharon , you would think too jays would stay open on the nights the Sharon has entertainment, many of us are used to having something after the theater, but no there closed and please don’t tel me we are all dying to get home to bed,I’m 81 know lots of people who are not in bed at 10 pm .

[Dilligas]

Originally Posted by refeik

Three restaurants on the Spanish Springs square have gone out of business. Plans are to transform these facilities and other future closures into apartments. In the near future I totally expect the entire Spanish Springs to be nothing more than apartments and shops. Also I find it strange that the district approved the Developer getting amenities for these apartments.

Is this a guess or do you have facts to back up your apartment statements (Demshar's & Toojays)?

[Holpat39]

All this speculation on what will happen to SS shopping area regarding apartments. Why not take the wait and see approach?

[Marshaw]

Is this your personal thought or are they facts other that Katie's?

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by FredJacobs

When I was in basic training in the Army, there was a fellow we nicknamed, "Arnie The Sweat." Every time he heard something, the first words out of his mouth were, "Is that a true rumor or a false one?" The developer owns the property - why can't he do to it as he sees fit? It doesn't surprise me that they are considering apartments. Right now, there is a boom in building Assisted Living and Independent Living facilities. Many homeowners are down-sizing as they get older. He sells Villas for people who don't want large homes or large areas of land to maintain. Many people over 65, who come from rented apartments and never had to worry about maintanence would like to live in The Villages. I view this as a smart business move. He's competing with all of the Independent Living Senior facilities that have sprung up and he has the advantage of Village's amenities.

The Villages Holding Company owns most of the property where those other facilities are located. They lease the property, so TVHC profits - it's no competition to him whatsoever.

As for why he can't do whatever he wants: the properties are not sovereign land. They exist within a municipality. Municipalities get to decide what can and cannot be built in the different segments of their boundaries. Something that is zoned for commercial, cannot have a residential dwelling built on it without either a) an exception made, or b) a re-zoning. Vice versa: if it's zoned residential, they can't build a store there, or a rec center.

Not without exceptions through what should be a lengthy process, or a re-zoning of the property, which would (in most of the rest of the country) involve mandatory public hearings since it directly affects property values of homeowners located on the perimeter of the property in question.

No idea what the zoning laws are in the towns and counties where these properties are located, but no - the Developer can't just arbitrarily designate a commercial property as a residential multi-plex without a lot of red tape.

UNLESS - the elected officials in those municipalities are cronies, allies, or directly placed by the Developer. And then, he basically ends up with carte blanch to do whatever he damned well pleases - until those elected officials are voted out by someone OTHER than the Developer.

[KRM0614]

You must be thinking in la la land.
The Morse group need constant streams of revenue. They aren’t happy with that area which is targeted as for a much older consumers. My “realtor” stated they there was an area she wouldn’t sell in. It’s going to gradually transition to target younger people to spend more money

[Skip]

Originally Posted by HoosierPa

Show me the plans in writing you mentioned. Are you sure you aren’t just complaining as exaggerating because you are upset about Katie Belles ?

The plans to build apartments and close stores and restaurants extends to
"Spanish Springs Town Square, Lake Sumter Landing Market Square, Brownwood Paddock Square, Hacienda Hills & Buffalo Crossing."

Skip

[Mfrench]

I believe that the Morse kids are trying to generate a steady income stream that will look good to future buyers if the Villages. It would be great to see them get out of our lives!!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by KRM0614

You must be thinking in la la land.
The Morse group need constant streams of revenue. They aren’t happy with that area which is targeted as for a much older consumers. My “realtor” stated they there was an area she wouldn’t sell in. It’s going to gradually transition to target younger people to spend more money

Yes, I'm one of those younger people. Under 60 and still working part time. And living in the Historic section and absolutely in love with the Spanish Springs area. I can't imagine living in any other part of the Villages, though perhaps very close to Sumter Landing some day (within 5 minutes via golf cart).

There are plenty of homes up here for sale by well-known realtors (including the Villages themselves). A few of them are pretty run down and I don't have hope that they'll sell until they foreclose and go for a fraction just to raze the ground and re-build a site-built. But the rest all get sold in a reasonable time (a few days to a couple of months after being listed).

The "younger" folks are already moving in. And we are basically the same age that the first residents were, when THEY moved in, in the 1980's.

[Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by NJSonja

yes, I'm concerned about the traffic if everything becomes apartments...I live in Spanish Springs...I'm aggravated about broken promises too....it is what it is...

Wouldn't there be traffic if the businesses all succeed? How are 1 or 2 people in a few apartments going to ruin the area?

[mtlee024]

Originally Posted by JoMar

Demshar's did not go out of business, they closed temporarily. TooJays filed for bankruptcy months ago and I suspect this is part of expense reduction since the other two are still open. Katie Belle's is the only one that actually closed with no plans to reopen .

I hope they get a better menu and better prepared food. Twice I have eaten there and was very disappointed in the food I ordered and the price I had to pay for it.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Jayhawk

Wouldn't there be traffic if the businesses all succeed? How are 1 or 2 people in a few apartments going to ruin the area?

I think it'd improve the area. It'd mean fewer cars coming IN to the Squares - since they're already there. Less traffic, because some of the people who would visit it, already live right there.

This ALSO means a much more vibrant "feel" - with people sitting on balconies at night or hanging out on the front stoop early in the morning to watch businesses open up, the "sleepless" types sitting on the sales office porch enjoying a cup of tea late at night, etc. etc.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Laker14

I find your post interesting, and I can see it happening that way to a point. Is it possible that as the transformation towards apartments happens that a market will appear for more shops and restaurants?
I have no idea how many units of apartments might be created, but at some point those folks would love to have a nice square, with some food and music right in the neighborhood. Such a demand could turn into a pleasant equilibrium between local foot traffic and services. This could be a better working model going forward than what has been going on there lately. I'm not trying to be contentious, just suggesting that this could work out well for everyone.

Increased population density will require more medical services - Doctors, Dentists and other professionals - more firefighters trained and equipped to fight fires in multiple stories of higher-rise apartments - more police. To offset those additional costs TV Land will be REQUIRED to cultivate diverse businesses there in SS. So, I believe that the square will have a commercial comeback if and when the apartments are successful and filled. Increased sales tax collection will be needed, so the square NEEDS to be a commercial success. One downside MAY (?) be a possible add-on sales tax? It must be hard for the developers to predict all the demographic trends and cross-currents that future predictons demand.

[Gulfcoast]

Originally Posted by FredJacobs

When I was in basic training in the Army, there was a fellow we nicknamed, "Arnie The Sweat." Every time he heard something, the first words out of his mouth were, "Is that a true rumor or a false one?" The developer owns the property - why can't he do to it as he sees fit? It doesn't surprise me that they are considering apartments. Right now, there is a boom in building Assisted Living and Independent Living facilities. Many homeowners are down-sizing as they get older. He sells Villas for people who don't want large homes or large areas of land to maintain. Many people over 65, who come from rented apartments and never had to worry about maintanence would like to live in The Villages. I view this as a smart business move. He's competing with all of the Independent Living Senior facilities that have sprung up and he has the advantage of Village's amenities.

To compete with the Independent Living/Assisted Living models, the apartments would need to be more than just 55+ restricted. They would need to offer scheduled shuttle service to appointments and to golf/rec centers, light house keeping, in house dining w/room service available, laundry service, in house activities and hair salon. They don't provide healthcare but they have representatives from home health agencies available to assist the residents in contracting the assistance that they might need.

Residents moving into a standard apartment setting (not IL/AL) would be doing so mainly to have the convenience of living in a walkable town. These types of apartments would be geared towards generally active, independent people who simply no longer want the hassle of home maintenance/ownership anymore. From what I gather, these are the types of apartments being considered for Spanish Springs.

[Laker14]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

I would like to see all people who will be proven to have made exaggerated posts and posted unfounded rumors about the apartments to run naked around Spanish Springs Square.

But then...maybe I wouldn't like to see that.

I believe that lands squarely in the box labeled, "Be Careful What You Wish For".