The Amenity Authority Committee may find itself at yet another fork in the road with regard to the future of the old El Santiago Club restaurant building.

In January, the AAC split 3-2 on pursuing exploration of a request for proposal for a possible restaurant in the building.

The action was taken after an 11th hour interest in the building was shown by a reputable but publicly unnamed party within The Villages. The “husband and wife business team”  expressed an interest in restoring a restaurant at the building which has been vacant for more than two years.

AAC member Rich Lambrecht brokered a meeting between the party and district staff.

But a letter from board attorney Lewis Stone to be discussed at Wednesday’s AAC meeting, calls into question the legal possibility of a restaurant being located in that building.

“As you may recall, the deed required that the property ‘shall be subject to a restriction limiting the use of the Property to only uses permitted for a community development district under Chapter 190, Florida Statutes as such permitted activities existed on the date of conveyance,'” Stone wrote to District Manager Janet Tutt in a letter dated Jan. 21.

“While the board was considering part of the building for food service associated with the adjoining golf course, I considered that use as a supplemental to the recreational activities of both the golf course and activities within the building.

“If there are no recreational activities within the building, but the entire structure is used solely for a commercial restaurant, I do not find authorization in Florida Statutes Chapter 190 for such use. I would agree that commission or concession area uses, which had previously been discussed, as an accessory to recreational uses is appropriate. I would find no fault in leasing space for those purposes to a vendor.”

If the El Santiago restaurant idea dies as a result of Stone’s letter, the AAC will be looking at a scope of services for the restoration of the building. The building would be used as a recreation facility.

The two options on the table, are:

• Demolition of existing structure and reconstruction of the building for $1.578 million;

• Renovation of existing structure for $1.123 million.