[Bobcuse]

Originally Posted by OldDave

Good morning fellow rumor mongers! Don't you just love it. (I don't know why some folks here don't want rumors posted. We wouldn't have anything to talk about it they weren't, lol)

First, I agree with Gracie, despite all my questioning of EVERYTHING, there is nothing wrong with the growth this company is doing as long as they handle it well; and handling it well is judged by sales, and the satisfaction of existing owners. (btw, Gracie, what are you doing posting at 3 in the morning girl?) Someone complained, I think in another thread that TV kept building, but wasn't building any new golf courses. Perhaps I'm missing something but to my eye it seems they are building lots of new courses south of 466A. There seem to be more pools, rec centers, etc, especially compared to north of 466.

As to rumors, let me point out something from the world we all love so much, politics. Trial balloons are a staple of politics. You spread a rumor just to see how it flies. After much research you'll see that many, if not most political rumors are started either by the party involved for the trial balloon purpose, or unfortunately the other side just to do damage. I wouldn't see how the developer would benefit from the latter.

So much of what you hear may be rooted in fact, at least in the early planning stages. It doesn't mean it's actually going to happen. I know we all want Macy's, etc. However, we suffer from an unusual problem, we are the wrong demographic for many stores. Clothing is bought mostly by my 19 year old daughter. (I don't mean all 19 year olds, I mean mine specifically is buying most of the clothes in the country!!!) We cannot offer that to them. They not only sell most of their clothes to younger people, they can get away with higher markups on trendy brands. Say one thing for us old folks, we know how to look at a price tag. And I don't know this for sure, but I remember someone saying TV insists on owning the land and just leasing it to these kind of businesses. Someone said that's why Walmart if so far west, because they wouldn't agree to this. Honestly I don't know if it's true, but it would certainly disuade some companies.

Also, someone mentioned the 900 acre rumor. Several days ago no one could prove that TV was NOT done expanding. We had a great thread about moving south of Lake Deaton. Just rumors. Within three days it was announced that TV had bought new land next to the lake and were building 350 new homes. So, whether trial balloons or leaked info, rumor almost always has some level of fact behind it.

As to the 900 acres across from the library. 900 acres would be around 1 mile by 1.5 miles. In looking at that field via Google Maps, it is no where near that big. Maybe 120 acres. Of course the 900 acres wouldn't have to be all in one piece. The only continuous spot I see, within Sumter County, near the southern expansion is between 44 and the turnpike and between 468 and the Lake County line. On Google it is mostly just woodlands. Of course these pictures are sometimes a couple of years old. This one shows housing being built almost to the north edge of Lake Deaton, and road building to and around Brownwood, but no building construction. So, it's probably between one and two years old.

So we can continue to watch, listen and speculate. I frankly don't mind it, because this affects all of us, residents, snow.... and wantabes alike.

Good post. Very interesting. My only rebuttal would be that I frequently site in the entrance to Belk's waiting for my wife as I read and I observe a steady stream of "over age 19" ladies coming in and then leaving with lots and lots of bags of merchandise. If I were Macy's, I'd find a way to participate in the thriving market. I remember a year ago (maybe 2) when Belk underwent a 40,000 sq foot expansion and they still are jammed with shoppers!

[mulligan]

The cost of building a Belk's, and building a Macy's are world's apart. Having been involved in the store fixture business for a few years, the difference is amazing, with Macy's being several steps upscale. Hard to justify the expense given the local demographic.

[Bobcuse]

Originally Posted by mulligan

The cost of building a Belk's, and building a Macy's are world's apart. Having been involved in the store fixture business for a few years, the difference is amazing, with Macy's being several steps upscale. Hard to justify the expense given the local demographic.

Thanks for your input. I never realized there was any significant difference in store construction costs. I can certainly see the upscale look when visiting Macy's but didn't factor that into my thinking as far as building a new store.

[ohhappyday]

Originally Posted by Bobcuse

Good post. Very interesting. My only rebuttal would be that I frequently site in the entrance to Belk's waiting for my wife as I read and I observe a steady stream of "over age 19" ladies coming in and then leaving with lots and lots of bags of merchandise. If I were Macy's, I'd find a way to participate in the thriving market. I remember a year ago (maybe 2) when Belk underwent a 40,000 sq foot expansion and they still are jammed with shoppers!

Build it and they will come I would like to see a mall with anchor stores. The one in Leesburg is out of the way and piddly. You have not only the villages but lady lake to support them.

Something I wanted to add to "fan" the conversation. I saw in the Leesburg paper about the meeting to bring rolling acres all the way to 44 as a bypass that someone made the comment that the land south of 466a over that away was bought by the morses. The folks there could not comment on that..LOL. Gotta love it. However there should be a way to access public records of land sales if this were true....

[janmcn]

I have a hunch that the big companies, including Publix, want nothing to do with The Villages Inc until the IRS suit is settled. I base my hunch on the fact that Publix has not opened a new store since Easter 2007, nine months before the investigation was announced.

From 2001 to 2007, four grocery stores opened: Alberston's in Spanish Plaines in 2001 or 2002 (which is now a Publix), Publix in Mulberry Grove in 2003, Publix in Southern Trace in 2004, and Publix at Colony in 2007.

When The Villages and the IRS are mentioned in the same sentence, big companies are probably saying we'll sit this one out and see what happens IMO.

[Rickg]

Can someone tell us a little about "the suit"

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by Rickg

Can someone tell us a little about "the suit"

There are many threads you can search for on this forum or google IRS vs The Villages.

[travelguy]

...a partial quote from another writer....So much of what you hear may be rooted in fact, at least in the early planning stages. It doesn't mean it's actually going to happen. I know we all want Macy's, etc. However, we suffer from an unusual problem, we are the wrong demographic for many stores. Clothing is bought mostly by my 19 year old daughter. (I don't mean all 19 year olds, I mean mine specifically is buying most of the clothes in the country!!!) We cannot offer that to them. They not only sell most of their clothes to younger people, they can get away with higher markups on trendy brands. Say one thing for us old folks, we know how to look at a price tag.

you said it all...we are the wrong demographic. Belk just recently added a Juniors department, but their Children's department has always been an underperformer. In order to be successful a deparmtnet store should offer their entire assortment. For a Mall to be successful they have to have all sorts of stores, mixed appeal....can you imagine a store such as Hot Topic or Pacific Sunwear, but those stores have to be represented in most mall duel to contractual agreements with the mall developers. It won't happen here.....it makes no economic sense.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by janmcn

I have a hunch that the big companies, including Publix, want nothing to do with The Villages Inc until the IRS suit is settled. I base my hunch on the fact that Publix has not opened a new store since Easter 2007, nine months before the investigation was announced.

From 2001 to 2007, four grocery stores opened: Alberston's in Spanish Plaines in 2001 or 2002 (which is now a Publix), Publix in Mulberry Grove in 2003, Publix in Southern Trace in 2004, and Publix at Colony in 2007.

When The Villages and the IRS are mentioned in the same sentence, big companies are probably saying we'll sit this one out and see what happens IMO.

DO you really think that even a negative outcome on the IRS issue will have folks leaving TV? TV is almost 100% complete give or take 2.5 years. I doubt that a negative judgment will make us a ghost town (would you really leave even if it cost everyone a couple of grand). Publix is actively pursing their new site. They are going to make a decision about location in the very near future and I assure you it has to do with population statistics and demographics and not the IRS issue.

[Rickg]

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

DO you really think that even a negative outcome on the IRS issue will have folks leaving TV? TV is almost 100% complete give or take 2.5 years. I doubt that a negative judgment will make us a ghost town (would you really leave even if it cost everyone a couple of grand). Publix is actively pursing their new site. They are going to make a decision about location in the very near future and I assure you it has to do with population statistics and demographics and not the IRS issue.

I agree, It's a business decision

[Indydealmaker]

In our lifetime, the endgame of the IRS negotiations is a non-issue.

[janmcn]

Originally Posted by Russ_Boston

DO you really think that even a negative outcome on the IRS issue will have folks leaving TV? TV is almost 100% complete give or take 2.5 years. I doubt that a negative judgment will make us a ghost town (would you really leave even if it cost everyone a couple of grand). Publix is actively pursing their new site. They are going to make a decision about location in the very near future and I assure you it has to do with population statistics and demographics and not the IRS issue.

What has taken them so long? As you can see in my previous post, they opened a new store every year or two in the past. The stores always were built and opened before the houses were built. They haven't opened a new store for six years.

[Russ_Boston]

Originally Posted by janmcn

What has taken them so long? As you can see in my previous post, they opened a new store every year or two in the past. The stores always were built and opened before the houses were built. They haven't opened a new store for six years.

My wife works there (doesn't necessarily mean the employees know much but...) and the scuttlebutt is that they are deciding between two very different locations south of 466a. Their Colony store, the one Linda works at, has become, by far, the busiest in the district. The know they need a new one and soon. Let's remember that the area south of 466a is the smallest of the sections population wise.

[Indy-Guy]

Originally Posted by janmcn

What has taken them so long? As you can see in my previous post, they opened a new store every year or two in the past. The stores always were built and opened before the houses were built. They haven't opened a new store for six years.

I purchased near Cane Garden CC in 2005 and moved here full time in 2007. In 2007 Sweetbay or Publix at Colony were not there. Our closest grocery store was Publix at Southern Trace. So for your comment that that they always open the stores before the houses are built I would not agree with. Perhaps they were there when your house was built.

[justjim]

Lake county is considering a 5 cent increase in their gasoline tax to improve roads such as 466A---moving the widening of 466A forward to next year. Marion county has already increased their tax on gas. Will Sumter county follow? Good question---time will tell---if Lake county approves (and that is a big if because a lot of south lake county commutes everyday to Orlando) Sumter could follow. Bottom line---the widening of 466A certainly makes the vacant land along 466A between 462 and Bunea Vista blvd. more valuable regardless who owns it. One final thought, until you have the ability to provide sewer, water etc. to a piece of land you just have a piece of land that has limited use. TV developer could do that and quickly.