Johnny Longboats first to step up to the Plate at Lake Worth Casino

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Johnny Longboats, Singer Island, Riviera Beach

And it will be the last company that steps up to the plate for this space if Staff has anything to do with it. It will be the last if Paul Snitkin of Anderson and Carr has anything to do with it. You see, Johnny Longboats called him about leasing in the Casino, not the other way around. The real estate broker did not have to do one thing to earn this big commission. He admitted that he didn't even have to advertise; it was basically word of mouth.

Here we are, having to have some defined tenants by September at the latest so that Morganti can start planning the build-out. Last minute stuff is typical so why am I surprised? I am though because I always expect someone to do the job that we hired them to do. In a way Snitkin did perform; a possible tenant found him.

The BRESE, Paul Snitkin, gave us all a song and dance presenting a list that suggested that he contacted other establishments on his list of about 20 possible tenants (not all restaurants) but no one was interested. Why? The rents were too high. Second next? No one wanted a second floor restaurant. He also claimed that it is always the first guy who steps up to the plate that will be the best tenant...he was the expert...he was in the business for XX amount of years...he knew his stuff. He kept emphasizing that he was an expert and that he worked hard. You gotta love it and the Commission fell for it all but I am also equally as sure that they were all given a bill of goods from Staff prior to the meeting--take the deal.

The broker concentrated on local and regional tenants per the RFP and I would make a bet that there are plenty on that list who NEVER HEARD OF HIM. Just a gut feeling. What ever happened to national chains? If things were so difficult for this guy, why did he not get permission and concentrate on big corporations or at least make some phone calls? We talked about that several months ago and the Commission did not object if it were going to be difficult to find a local tenant. He might have had to split the commission if he found a national chain because most of them have or use their own exclusive real estate firm for all their developments.

The Mayor wanted fairness and worried about the fact that some of the possible clients might not have been "pitched." Commissioner Maxwell even said that he agreed with Waterman and was not prepared to make a decision. It seems that Johnny Longboats will be a good fit at our casino. Even their representative, Randy Simler, said, "It's going to be a home run." This is not about Johnny Longboats, however, that will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner and a bar upstairs until some undetermined time in the morning (check with the turtles), but rather about the process as Commissioner Maxwell said. In the end the process meant nothing.

What happened as they kicked the can down the road during the two hour meeting? As one resident put it, it was "a la Retha Lowe all over again." Objections and concerns by Waterman and Maxwell (particularly that they had NO other restaurants from which to choose) were plenty and all highly legitimate, were all at the end, discarded by them. Commissioner Maxwell even went so far as to have the entire first vote of 3/1 quashed. A motion was made to reconsider and a new motion to accept Johnny Longboats' Letter of Intent was made so that Maxwell could vote in tandem with the rest of the commission. Showing solidarity was a good thing. Commissioner McVoy was absent.

Nothing was said or asked about Anderson and Carr working on finding any other signature tenant. What happens if this one strikes out at the plate? Snitkin didn't have to present any back-up of his work, his contacts, his follow-up, the comments, anything. The Commission was backed into a corner and the only thing left to do was to bunt. And let's get the Dodgers back in Brooklyn.