The acquisition of the new Cordoba Recreation Center from the Developer prompted many questions Wednesday from members of the Amenity Authority Committee.
The new “recreation opportunities,” located in the Hacienda Hills area where the demolition of the country club restaurant sparked sadness and outrage in 2020, will include a resort-style pool, sports courts, walking paths, open spaces and a new postal station, according to a presentation before the AAC at Savannah Center.
The recreation center will be located next door to the yet-to-be-constructed 24-unit Marbella Villas, which will be located between the Cordoba Recreation Center and the new Hacienda Hills Golf Club.
The presentation by District staff indicated that the Cordoba Recreation Center facilities will be conveyed to the AAC at no cost.
The Developer will continue to collect the amenity fees from the 24 new units and in return will provide janitorial services, utilities and maintenance of the recreation facilities.
AAC member Richard Benson said this is a departure from the way such transitions have taken place in the past.
“Here you are saying, ‘You own it, but you don’t own it,’ and the Developer keeps the amenity fees,” Benson said.
AAC Chair Donna Kempa asked what would happen if a sinkhole opened up under the recreation facility which the Developer has pledged to “repair and replace.” However, the AAC would be the landowner.
“We ran into this with the bridge at Lake Sumter. ‘It’s not the bridge, it’s the land,’” Kempa said.
In the case of the embankment at the bridge at Lake Sumter, the Project Wide Advisory Committee wound up on the hook for a remedy that will cost residents more than $1 million.
Kempa initially said she wanted to see the matter tabled until January to provide time for answers to the questions of the AAC members. Fellow member Jim Vaccaro also said he wanted to table the approval until January.
However, others said they were ready to move forward as long as the remaining questions would be answered before the chair signed on the dotted line.
“I would just as soon go with it now,” said Rich Cole, who represents the Village Center Community Development District Board of Supervisors on the AAC.
In the end, all members voted to move ahead, with the stipulations, with the exception of Vaccaro who voted against the approval of the motion.