For several weeks after the Aug. 29 demolition of the small original Tierra del Sol recreation building, land clearing and preparation seemed to drag on. There were many trees to be uprooted to make room for the much larger footprint of the new recreation center. Underground utilities and plumbing to be re-routed and water management infrastructure had to be checked. But finally, nearly six weeks after project initiation, concrete blocks are beginning to sprout up around the new foundation.
“We are not finished putting in the whole foundation,” Chuy Ortiz, who is in charge of concrete at the site, said “But as you can see, a lot has been done, and it should start to move more quickly now.”
If autumn weather this year is like most Central Florida autumns, with fewer afternoon rain showers than the summer months, the project should progress on schedule, for a spring or early summer 2015 completion.
The new building will have several large meeting rooms, a fresh modern design, kitchen facilities and indoor restrooms. Previously, people who played Trivia games or studied Italian conversation there had to go outside by the swimming pool, sometimes during bad weather, to access restrooms.
No one is more eager to see the new building open than Villages resident Carl Bell who championed the project on the Amenities Authority Committee (AAC). He recently told members of the district boards of supervisors (CDDs), with obvious enthusiasm, that residents would love the new facility. “Its much bigger and better than the old facility, and it’s foundation is turned a bit,” Bell explained, “so it will have wider golf course and sunset views.”
To the front of the site, along San Marino Drive, shielded from view by green screening along the fence, red steel girders are in place for a new outbuilding. This space is intended to provide storage for sports equipment for the bocce, shuffleboard and tennis courts. It will also have convenient restrooms so players don’t have to walk over to the main building for that purpose.
The Tierra del Sol restaurant remains open for business during the project, and has adequate parking on site for its patrons. Because of dust and safety issues, the Tierra del Sol adult pool will remain closed for the duration. The Tierra del Sol championship golf course remainss up and running, but was required to re-route two holes due to construction logistics.
Mark Cook Builders of Leesburg is in charge of the project.