Katie and I went to Singer Island yesterday to check out Johnny Longboats and have lunch. It has been years since I have been to Singer Island and the changes are astounding. In some respects, Dan Catalfumo has done a great job at the beach. Longboats is no longer situated in a stand-alone building but located in one of the pastel painted attached stores on the southern tip of the shopping area right next to where Palm Beach Shores begins.
The food was good and priced fairly. The service was good. The decor was fun and appropriate for a beach restaurant. The windows opened to give an open air effect. The restaurant had many customers but it was not crowded as John G's always was but it was, afterall, a Tuesday. One advantage of the beach experience at Singer Island is the free parking. The shopping is set off a ways from the beach itself. Longboats closes at 1am.
The tennis courts that had been located at the south end of Singer Island beach and there for decades were no longer there. When we left the beach, we noticed that they had moved them to the north end of the beach property.
Where Riviera Beach and Catalfumo failed is that you can no longer see the ocean on the drive-by, one of the disappointments of this beach redevelopment. This soon will be the same situation at the Lake Worth beach once it is done thanks to an insensitive commission of Cara Jennings and Rene Varela. People like to go to the beach to see the sea as they cruise by in their cars. It is a crime how a few people who had the power voted to destroy our beach in the name of "green" or progress and subsequent commissions have done nothing to rectify this. I was told by the head leader that it was too late; it is in progress. Nothing is too late, Mayor. No one has dug one hole of dirt yet.
And speaking of power, city staff wants Johnny Longboats, no matter what--a few thoughts on what I would like to see happen--
1. Allow them to take the lower level if they still choose and no loud music.
2. Rent the upper level to a different restaurant. It is smart to diversify and not give any one store so much control over our Casino should the tenant default. An anchor tenant is needed but not over 60% of the leasable space to an unknown. If this doesn't work out, find a national chain restaurant. Who cares as long as it stays within our vision and our rules and not the other way around. Build to accommodate that upper level tenant--outside elevators.
3. Have Longboats pay a big security deposit and submit 5 years of financials. Have them give the City a copy of their tax return every year throughout the lease. We need to know about their financial health.
4. Commissioner Maxwell wants a personal guarantee. Get it if you can. I doubt it.
5. Close the beach no later than 11pm and that is generous and later than I would like. This is first and foremost a park. There are other considerations here such as cost of utilities and public safety that the taxpayer will be paying at the beach to accommodate Johnny Longboats with their extended closing time. What are the estimated costs of these? Are the turtles in harm's way, etc. Contact scientists and government agencies and get opinions. Make a resolution now and change the BAC zoning to include a definite closing time so that no tenant can dictate its hours on our property.
6. Ensure that the City's lighting is in compliance.
7. Have them pay more per s.f. and increase the rent escalation clauses. This is a business and we hold the cards here.
8. Have them apply for financing immediately once a lease is negotiated and executed and give them a deadline to produce. We don't want a repeat of Greater Bay shenanigans. Don't produce, immediately find new tenant. In fact, find one now.
9. And for heaven's sake, if Mr. Banting and Mr. Snitkin still believe that they can NOT rent the upper space, find another brokerage with the proper attitude. If you don't believe you can do something, you won't, and we need someone who believes in the success of this Casino.
17 comments:
It is funny how you blame Cara for you disappointment at the beach, but not for everything else she has done to this city.
I have always said that Cara's major decisions were good 50% of the time. She screwed up on the landfill; she screwed up on the elec utility upgrade that cost us about $6 mil. She voted for the RO, a great thing. She was well informed on a some things but grossly misinformed on several things. She could tie Jeff Clemen's azz in a knot...a good thing.
Lynn, thanks for the pictures and review of Johnny Longboats. I don't know how many people have expressed the same disappointment about losing the beachside roadway. You are absolutely right that people like to drive by and see the ocean!
Clemens can tie his own azz in a knot!
You could never see the ocean from the parking lot a singer island. But the BCE definately ruined Lake Worth's beach.
I went there every weekend for 26 years as I lived up that way but perhaps my memory is failing. The road directly to the east of the shopping area was not full of trees, green and junk as it is now.
For 26 years? I bet you use to sit with Mr. J.D.McArthur at his hotel in the lounge. Then you could see the Ocean.
A place like Johnny Longboats would be great where John G`s use to be. As for your memory, I think it has faded. To much salt air and sunshine can do that.
You never saw MacArthur on the beach. He stayed inside his hotel usually at the bar area taking court. My memory does stink at times and all that sunshine only gave me wrinkles. :)
Wow, you do have a good memory and you are correct about JDM always sitting at the bar area.I bet you even appeared on the game show filmed there. Treasure Isle.Now thats going back a few years and before you got all those wrinkles.
The only thing not wrinkled is my brain, kid. Hopefully when you're my age you can hold up too.
Anybody remeber "dialing for dollars"?The prize was a 5$ gift certificate to Arbys. WHOO HOO, GOOD TIMES!!
I think the Singer Island beach redo is great, I can only hope that LW can come close.
I love the fact that the Singer Island beach is park, park, dune, beach, the commerce and parking is pushed back. I'm glad the asphalt is being reduced at LW beach, I alwasy thought that all that street and parking on top of the dune was a huge waste!
I like Longboats, I wonder how late they are open at Singer Island, but the two or three times I've been there the noise was minimal, no live music or the like.
I mentioned in my blog that they stay opened until 1AM. They want live music at our beach.
Glad that you like the fact that our upper level parking will be eliminated. You are in the minority. Do you even go to the beach? Is this Greg Rice? :)
This is going to be a tough call with the loyalty to the long term beach tenants being offset by their poor credit and late rent payments.
I don't understand the problem with hours and live music with Johnny Longboats. The county park to the north buffers as much in that direction as the parking lot does in the south to the South Palm Beach condos. No Lake Worth people are within quite a distance.
Lynn, I dont think Greg Rice posted that. His legs are very short and that walk from the lower level would be to much for him.
Soft music would be nice, if there is such a thing anymore.Maybe John Davidson could wear a flowered shirt and sing at the restaurant. Another Don Ho thing. LOL
Great Article Lynn and I agree with all the points made! Hopefully those who make suggestions will remember your article (You don't have to be a certain age to have salt on the brain LOL)
THANKS
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