[dhdallas]

Subsidize a business that loses money? Sure, why not? The government does it all the time; think Amtrak, GM, Ford, etc. We tax and amenity paying Villagers have unlimited cash so by all means, pile on the amenity fees!

Seriously though, since Katie Belle's was apparently not only mismanaged but also poorly patronized by TV residents since it was operating in the red, why should all of TV have to pay increased amenity fees just so a hundred or so Villagers can go there and relive past glories? Find a chain restaurant to fill the space, BUT...

Good luck stopping those apartments though despite the recent ruling. TV management would make an enormous profit from apartments versus such a comparatively minuscule amount from a restaurant lease. The apartment issue is far from over, just wait and see!

[Marykess1802]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Jimbo sounds like a couple Sumter County Commissioners who promised to reverse the 25% increase in property taxes.

Ideas with no logic.

Weren’t two of them arrested on felony charges??

[Mleeja]

Originally Posted by bagboy

FYI why would the developer ever consider renting the property to the AAC ? I would bet against it.

Why would the AAC even consider trying to rent this space? Bad, bad, idea.

[tophcfa]

Hmmmm, the Daily Sun reported that the Lady Lake town commission rejected plans to revitalize Spanish Springs Town Square? So they are claiming that seven apartments on the second floor of the Van Patten building will revitalize the square? I’m all for revitalization of the square, but it seems like a realllllly big reach that 7 apartments on the second floor of a building will do the trick.

[Mleeja]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Hmmmm, the Daily Sun reported that the Lady Lake town commission rejected plans to revitalize Spanish Springs Town Square? So they are claiming that seven apartments on the second floor of the Van Patten building will revitalize the square? I’m all for revitalization of the square, but it seems like a realllllly big reach that 7 apartments on the second floor of a building will do the trick.

Well, the seven apartments was just the beginning.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Mleeja

Well, the seven apartments was just the beginning.

But the seven apartments are what the commissioners rejected, nothing else. Perhaps if the developer sent a representative to the meeting to answer questions and explain how they are planning to revitalize the town square, and how the apartments fit into that plan, the outcome would have been different. The commissioners might have wanted to know, “the beginning of what”? Transparency can go a long way. It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out, but at the end of the day everyone knows who is going to get their way.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Papa_lecki

You do know this is all part of a plan? They presented the one thing that all residents would oppose, then they will come back with something, that seems reasonable compared to apartments.
Don’t know what it is, but we all will soon

I'd love to see something happen with the space over the stores in that building. I just don't think apartments are the right option. Offices would be great - in fact, there are a lot of people who work from home or in cottage/handcrafts industry, who might enjoy a cooperative office environment. It's popular in cities, and I don't know if it would be an attractive option here but I don't think anyone's presented the idea to anyone or looked into it.

I'm not at all opposed to the developer making use of that space. They shouldn't be sitting vacant - the developer does pay property taxes and insurance on that property whether it's filled or vacant. I just don't think it's suitable for residences.

[bagboy]

Originally Posted by Mleeja

Why would the AAC even consider trying to rent this space? Bad, bad, idea.

I guess copying another poster question was a bad idea on my part. In my humble opinion, there is NO chance the developer will rent anything to the AAC, not even "for the right price" as someone stated a few posts back. I'll stop at that.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I'm not at all opposed to the developer making use of that space. They shouldn't be sitting vacant - the developer does pay property taxes and insurance on that property whether it's filled or vacant.

They could tear it down, save on property taxes and reduce insurance significantly.
They would recoup they demo costs in five years.

Maybe that would make the anti-condo peeps happy.

[rustyp]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

They could tear it down, save on property taxes and reduce insurance significantly.
They would recoup they demo costs in five years.

Maybe that would make the anti-condo peeps happy.

More green space - that's a good thing.

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

They could tear it down, save on property taxes and reduce insurance significantly.

Then they could rename it Hacienda Belle’s.

[BostonRich]

From the Villages News:

Pressure is mounting for the resurrection of Katie Belle’s on the heels of the Lady Lake Commission’s rejection of a plan for seven apartments at the former home of the legendary dance hall.

An angry mob of Villagers forced a 3-2 vote Monday night on The Villages’ plan for the apartments at the Van Patten House at Spanish Springs Town Square

[Bogie Shooter]

Originally Posted by BostonRich

From the Villages News:

Pressure is mounting for the resurrection of Katie Belle’s on the heels of the Lady Lake Commission’s rejection of a plan for seven apartments at the former home of the legendary dance hall.

An angry mob of Villagers forced a 3-2 vote Monday night on The Villages’ plan for the apartments at the Van Patten House at Spanish Springs Town Square

Pressure is mounting
Angry mob
Forced a vote

All great click words…….seems a bit exaggerated!

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter

All great click words…….seems a bit exaggerated!

Consider the source.

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by rustyp

A new story from the unmentionable news source today (author Meta Minton):

Villagers are embracing a proposal to have the Amenity Authority Committee revive Katie Belle’s and return dining and dancing to residents.

Community Development District 2 Supervisor Jim Cipollone has raised the idea of the AAC using its money and authority to revive Katie Belle’s as an amenity. His suggestion came on the eve of a Lady Lake Commission meeting in which The Villages was expected to attempt to ram through its plan for seven age-restricted apartments at the Van Patten House at Spanish Springs Town Square.

“I wholeheartedly support the idea of reviving Katie Belle’s. It was a great place to take guests or to have a date night with my wife. When we went there we totally enjoyed the experience. I think the idea of apartments is absurd,” said Don Atkinson, a resident of the Village of Santo Domingo.


Cipollone’s proposal has prompted many to remember the golden years of Katie Belle’s, which The Villages officially closed in 2020, blaming COVID-19.


“I support the idea of the AAC reviving Katie Belle’s. I feel that they should give Katie Belle’s back to The Villagers for what it was intended for not for renting out apartments for who knows who will living in them. The restaurant and the dance hall were an excellent place for entertainment and fine food,” said Villager Tom Hickman.

Villager Pat Kress said the secret to making Katie Belle’s successful again would be treating it like a true amenity and only admitting Villagers with Villages IDs.

“The Spanish Springs square is really going downhill as there is a lot of alcohol being abused by outsiders. Katie Belle’s was only intended for the Village people by showing their ID cards to get in. Completely different crowd attended,” Kress said.



Twenty-year resident of The Villages Lorraine Martin is all for the AAC reclaiming Katie Belle’s on behalf of residents.

“The AAC should devise a plan to keep Katie Belle’s as an amenity for the residents. The Villages is destroying the north end of The Villages. They are all about greed now that the older owners have passed away. It is a shame at what they are doing,” Martin said.

Cheryl Seyfert of the Santo Domingo Villas applauded Cipollone for coming up with a creative idea for bringing back Katie Belle’s.

“Finally, a reasonable solution to reviving Spanish Springs Town Square. The revival of Katie Belle’s, rather than apartments. It would give us the desired place to go, help guarantee music in the area, and return us to the golden days of why we bought homes in the area,” Seyfert said.

“We need to support this idea and bring it to fruition! Bravo to the wisdom of the people!” she said.

Until they are asked to pay for it.....living in past is what kills most ideas that want things to be the way they were. Went to KB's a couple times before the change and very few times after....pretty obvious they weren't going to succeed.