[jswirs]

Originally Posted by Gpsma

Entertainment in the Town Squares is a big selling point for the villages? Really..maybe to the Disco Dannys and Disco Sallies who want to relive their youth with third rate bands.

Three Town Squares..generally always busy. But with a population now of probably 120,000..they only attract those who want to drink and think they dance like Saturday Night Fever.

Most people who have lived here a while could care less about the town squares unless they are there to dine.

Sorry, but I could not disagree with you more. I see folks dancing on the squares ENJOYING themselves in their later years, not trying to relive their youth. Also, it's exercise, and, IMHO, most bands are more like 1st or 2nd rate. Personally, I love seeing folks enjoying themselves, and if they are drinking it is none of my business. It's unfortunate that you feel that way about the squares. I say live and let live.

[Mushkie]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

The Developer doesn’t need nightly entertainment in Spanish Springs to attract home buyers anymore. All the development is many miles south. Little marketing benefit would be lost in discontinuing nightly entertainment or events like the monthly drive-in. Those enjoying those events are probably already Villages homeowners, or residents of surrounding communities.

By discontinuing nightly entertainment at Spanish Springs the entire town square could be re-purposed to a large, attractive parking lot. It could be gated with assigned spaces for use by renters in the planned apartments as well as the rumored apartments in the two stories of existing health club space in the La Riena Building. Parking for new apartment renters? Solved! Complaints from renters about too much noise? Solved!

If the movie theatres are re-purposed into a re-located health club as rumored, the main entrance could be in the rear, with parking spaces immediately behind the theater space made private, gated, for use by health club members only.

Complaints would be temporary, coming only from those not likely to be new home buyers. All the businesses in the area, including the Developer-owned Sharon, would likely view the idea favorably. Of course, the Developer owns all the commercial space in the area, so commercial renters would view the idea of less parking pressure very favorably.

New apartments on two floors of the La Riena building is based on a rumor, but it makes sense based on health club employees already having been told of the relocation plan to the theatre space when the health club lease in the La Riena building expires.

Negatives to the idea?

Your comment about closing down the music and making the square a big parking lot was either a joke or ludicrous. The nightly entertainment is a HUGE draw $$$$$ for business each late afternoon/evening. BTW - our amenities fee doesn’t pay for the nightly music- the funding comes from the businesses surrounding the square and from the Sumter tourism board.
The Developer wants these businesses to make money and parking lots don’t make money.

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Mushkie

You'r ludicrous. .

Slightly modified.

[La lamy]

HORRIBLE IDEA to get rid of SS. Way too far and crowded to go to Sumter for those of us who live in the northern part of TV. I would feel robbed if they took it away.

[eeroger]

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC

That is act 1. Wait for the following act 2-6.

Wait for the 1st complaints of loud music at the square from new apartment dwellers & ... gone will be the nightly entertainment!!!

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by eeroger

Wait for the 1st complaints of loud music at the square from new apartment dwellers & ... gone will be the nightly entertainment!!!

[asianthree]

Idea to remove square will not accommodate many parking spaces. Lane down the middle spaces on both side May give you 10 on each side.

Maybe OP is wanting one of the new apartments, and is trying to get a head start on getting the music stopped before move in

Plus May hate the sound of running water, so out goes the pond. Other than those two items I have no idea why someone would dislike the square when it give so much joy to those who frequent it.

I rarely go to SS, however most days during October I sit by the pink water, and think of those who have lost their battle, those who are fighting now, and those who may find a cure in the future. It’s a place to reflect if you are a survivor. But that’s just me.

[Luggage]

Yup 7 people will complain . So what . I find it ridiculous that everyone's upset about seven apartments or even 10 apartments or 100 apartments, haven't you ever lived in a city wherever your apartment is on top of the store levels? You guys think that someone buying a $300,000 condo is lower class than you? Not everyone needs 2,000 ft to live in there are many people happy to live in 700 or 1000 square feet with no shrubs to cut or trees to worry about or grass to fertilize or roof that needs maintaining or to worry about getting insurance every year

[bonrich]

Don't forget the apartment dwellers that own a golf cart. Leaving your cart parked outside during the next rainstorm. No more taking the clubs off your cart and putting them into the garage. Now it would be hauling them up to your apartment to store until the next golfing day. Up and down, up and down.........

[Ski Bum]

[QUOTE=Villages Kahuna;2102765]The Developer doesn’t need nightly entertainment in Spanish Springs to attract home buyers anymore. All the development is many miles south. Little marketing benefit would be lost in discontinuing nightly entertainment or events like the monthly drive-in. Those enjoying those events are probably already Villages homeowners, or residents of surrounding communities.

By discontinuing nightly entertainment at Spanish Springs the entire town square could be re-purposed to a large, attractive parking lot. It could be gated with assigned spaces for use by renters in the planned apartments as well as the rumored apartments in the two stories of existing health club space in the La Riena Building. Parking for new apartment renters? Solved! Complaints from renters about too much noise? Solved!

If the movie theatres are re-purposed into a re-located health club as rumored, the main entrance could be in the rear, with parking spaces immediately behind the theater space made private, gated, for use by health club members only.

Complaints would be temporary, coming only from those not likely to be new home buyers. All the businesses in the area, including the Developer-owned Sharon, would likely view the idea favorably. Of course, the Developer owns all the commercial space in the area, so commercial renters would view the idea of less parking pressure very favorably.

New apartments on two floors of the La Riena building is based on a rumor, but it makes sense based on health club employees already having been told of the relocation plan to the theatre space when the health club lease in the La Riena building expires.

Negatives to the idea?[/QUOTE

I'll bite.

The comment about resale is correct. People buy with an investment in mind. If the amenity goes away, so goes a part of the resale value and saleability. TV owns the real estate company and wants it healthy. Homes in a 5 mile radius benefit from the square.

Also, who is going to buy an apartment with no access to restaurants and shopping? 50, even 100 apartments are not enough to support the businesses. Shut the square and they die.

[Stu from NYC]

Restaurants gain a lot of business from the square and the entertainment in the evening. Most nights when we do go to a square we listen to a set or two and off to a nearby restaurant.

[Greg L]

I know you are being sarcastic but it is still a st…pd post

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

How about constructing a two level parking garage behind World of Beer and reserving spaces for the apartment dwellers and leaving the rest for others.

It would surprise me to see golf carts only in the squares themselves once the apartments are finished.

[toeser]

Originally Posted by Villages Kahuna

The Developer doesn’t need nightly entertainment in Spanish Springs to attract home buyers anymore. All the development is many miles south. Little marketing benefit would be lost in discontinuing nightly entertainment or events like the monthly drive-in. Those enjoying those events are probably already Villages homeowners, or residents of surrounding communities.

By discontinuing nightly entertainment at Spanish Springs the entire town square could be re-purposed to a large, attractive parking lot. It could be gated with assigned spaces for use by renters in the planned apartments as well as the rumored apartments in the two stories of existing health club space in the La Riena Building. Parking for new apartment renters? Solved! Complaints from renters about too much noise? Solved!

If the movie theatres are re-purposed into a re-located health club as rumored, the main entrance could be in the rear, with parking spaces immediately behind the theater space made private, gated, for use by health club members only.

Complaints would be temporary, coming only from those not likely to be new home buyers. All the businesses in the area, including the Developer-owned Sharon, would likely view the idea favorably. Of course, the Developer owns all the commercial space in the area, so commercial renters would view the idea of less parking pressure very favorably.

New apartments on two floors of the La Riena building is based on a rumor, but it makes sense based on health club employees already having been told of the relocation plan to the theatre space when the health club lease in the La Riena building expires.

Negatives to the idea?

The developer makes a lot of money on home resales. The interest of future buyers must be held as much as buyers of newly built properties.

[craigrmorrison]

Thank you for not sitting on your hands by presenting an idea with your dissatisfaction.

If you were a The Villages evangelist, you would be accused of blasphemy!

I encourage you to keep on this thinking even though this idea is a lead balloon.