I would volunteer in a heart beat..such history such a beautiful building just crying out to be as beautiful as it was in it's hay day!

Nothing discussed Thursday night would preclude the City eventually working out a deal with CDP or another developer to add the pieces necessary for a modern hotel (eg. a room wing in the Swanson parking lot) once the economy improves.

We are currently planning a major facelift for Sims Park and the Super Playground. Cleaning up the Hacienda and getting some recreation / leisure related tenants into the building to help cover ongoing maintenance and rehab efforts simply makes sense.

Imagine a Hacienda with a restaurant, boat tour operator, canoe/kayak livery, ice cream shop and similar businesses downstairs with other things (Chamber offices, meeting rooms, overnight accommodations for Chasco country concert stars or boaters who dock for the weekend at the Sims Park docks, an art gallery, etc.) eventually becoming options for the upstairs and you get an idea of the sorts of things we can do without having to come up with the tens of millions of dollars needed to do a full blown hotel conversion.

Several of us pledged $200 each towards the post cleanup lunch for the volunteers. Let Susan Dillinger (853-1021) know if you'd like to make a pledge as well. We will need lots of volunteers for the work day. More information will be available shortly.

Rob Marlowe
Deputy Mayor

Rob, can you give more information for volunteers ... date, time and any specifics. I would definitely consider helping if I can arrange in advance.

Bill proposed either the second or third Saturday morning of January. We'll definitely get the date publicized once it is set. I've got both Saturday's marked off on my calendar.

Im in! 100% and so is Team Farrell! I will contact you Rob. Thanks so much for all that you do.

If our Community donated $1 per month per household, this would help in the restoration of the Historic Building.

Mr. Marlowe,
I would like myself and my company to be part of this clean up effort. I can bring dump trucks, machinery and men power to assist with the clean up. I will look forward to the date.
Nestor.

I have been following this issue for a quite a while, seems to me that the city should take over the redevelopment of this historical building.
First of all
Downtown NPR needs to be redesigned, the two way traffic along Main st. is outrageous, it dosn't serve a pourpose to the neighborhood , only to cross from east to west or vis-a-vis.Downton NPR should be a commercial walking district, and that will include the Hacienda as part of a walking district Shopping Mall.
After all, the eldery population in NPR needs a place like this, for their shopping needs and entertaiment. there is no other place for them.
So lets revive downtown, like the old ways: theaters, speakeassys, ball rooms. out door-coffe shops like in France. music halls, fine restaurants,
you name it.

I would be interested in volunteering to help with the clean up. I am happy to see something being done to our wonderful downtown. Especially at the gateway around the hacienda. The ideas are exciting.

Hope city officials wil read our comments,
Thanks M's Mac Donald

Rob Marlowe
Keep me posted, I would like to volunteer in any project that will change NPR for the best.

Rob, count the Greater New Port Richey design committee in this project. We have several upcoming downtown beautifucation projects in the works and we've included the Hacienda in with those discussions and plans!!

Jeff and Rob
Great, we need a greater NPR design commitee to come up with good proposals to enhance downtown in order to promote other inevstments ventures
Count on me, I have experience on this matter, back in Baltimore, as a member of a Fells Point redevelopment committee.
keep me posted

let's go !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Barry

Thank you for all your ideas and offers to volunteer. I would like to add you all to an email list for the project. Please email me at dillingers@cityofnewportrichey.org and you will be notified of upcoming volunteer opportunities for the Hacienda project. If you don't have email please call 853-1021 and provide Marilyn Mercado with your contact information. Susan Dillinger, Interim City Manager

I would love to help. Its a beautiful building!! My whole family is in!!

I support the idea of making downtown even more walking friendly. I would like to see the hotel become a B&B with a public cafe. Cleanup/restoration should be done soon. It will be cheaper due to the economy and the more it sits the worse things get. One leaky window turns into a massive restoration left unrepaired. I have painting supplies I can donate to the cause.

All of the ideas discussed at the meeting were great. I was very impressed by the community involvement and the visions that everyone has for the building, but we need to have some perspective here.

We have already spent over 3 million dollars on this property and we are still unable to collect any tax revenue on the building because it is under City control.

I'm glad that a restoration project is being considered now but the question has to be asked, how has the City let it fall into such disrepair? The people responsible need to own up to their lack of action for the last 6 years

Restoration is desperately needed not only because the property is an eyesore but also because we need to get our fiscal house in order. Restoring the inside to code and the outside to the pearl it once was is wise but restoring leadership in this town to the level it was once at is just as important otherwise we will have more properties looking like the Hacienda and more city workers on the unemployment line.

Hello Michael, what good would it do to go over the past and who made mistakes. Solves nothing, not in any problem solving situation. Nancy