Ariel Fernandez
Founder & Editor
[email protected]
The City has reached a preliminary settlement agreement with Coral Grand, LLC and the Coral Gables Athletic Club, LP, in the case regarding the appointment of a receiver and the end of tenancy at the Coral Gables Country Club.
The agreement was struck just hours before the Court was scheduled to hold a hearing regarding the case.
Although the details of the agreement are still being ironed out, a joint motion was filed with the Court stating that the parties “jointly seek leave of Court to cancel the upcoming specially set three-hour evidentiary hearing scheduled for Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.”
It continues, “since Friday, April 15, 2022, the Parties, through their respective businesspersons, have been in ongoing discussions in an effort to achieve an amicable resolution of this litigation.The Parties have reached an agreement in principle on essential terms that is subject to appropriate documentation, as well as approval and ratification by the City Commission. The Parties have already exchanged an initial draft of a Settlement Agreement and Release, but have not finalized or executed same.”
The agreement would not be finalized until the City Commission votes to ratify it at the Tuesday, April 26th City Commission meeting.
If the agreement is ratified, “the Receiver will continue to oversee the winding down of operations and peaceful turnover of the Country Club on May 2, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.”
Shortly after the motion was filed, Judge David C. Miller entered a judgement dismissing the case.
Reaction
In a statement, the City stated that, “the City is pleased to move forward to serve the residents of Coral Gables and maintain this historic and iconic building.”
“My clients are happy to have been able to amicably settle this matter with the City to ensure that this priceless asset is going to be continued to be enjoyed by all residents of Coral Gables,” said Coral Grand, LLC’s attorney David Winker.
Terms
According to City staff’s memorandum to the Commission, the basic terms of the agreement are as follows: “1) The Receiver stays in place through April 30, 2022, and Coral Grand continues to satisfy all Lease and June 2021 Settlement agreement obligations through April 30, 2022, including continuous operation of the fitness center and fulfillment of all events. 2) The City takes possession of the Country Club and Coral Grand conveys Personal Property (as defined) to the City in exchange for the purchase price of $295,000 to Coral Grand, on May 2, 2022, at 10:00 AM. 3) Coral Grand and the Coral Gables Athletic Club transfer retail beverage, permanent food service, and gym operation licenses to the City effective May 2, 2022. 4) The evidentiary hearing scheduled for April 21, 2022 on Defendants’ Emergency Motion to Dissolve Ex Parte Temporary Injunction Appointing Receiver was cancelled. 5) If the City Commission approves the Settlement Agreement on April 26, 2022, the emergency motion to dissolve shall be moot and the appeal shall be dismissed. 6) The Coral Gables Athletic Club will not exercise any purchase options over the fitness center equipment or take any action that would result in the removal of the equipment. 7) Mutual releases effective upon satisfaction by Coral Grand and Coral Gables Athletic Club of all obligations.”
The City’s plan is to have the Club operating immediately and for there to be no closure. Click here to read the full agreement.
Peter Iglesias toma chocolate y paga lo que demes!
I agree with Bobby D. It is shameful what the City Beautiful has beck be under the current commission who has relegated authority to the City Manager and City Attorney who are corrupt and incompetent. It is one fir a recall of the Mayor and all the commissioners.
I was shocked to see our City send police officers in force to the Liberty Cafe. This was a ridiculous show of force for nothing, I can’t even imagine what our City officials were thinking when they decided this was a good idea. The tenant was already in the process of the “winding down of operations and a peaceful turnover of the Country Club to the City” and now after this ridiculous show of force, we are right back in the same place except that we look like a banana republic and have spent additional time and money on legal fees and appointing a receiver which wasn’t necessary.
Much talk. Little action.
Dereliction of duty comes to mind when one reads all these repetitious acts of either incompetence or malfeasance. Arrogance and abuse of power cannot be tolerated. Time to flush this commode.
Next election is the time.
Is a shamed what you guys are going through I would have expected better things coming out from the city beautiful. Hope it gets better soon You residents deserve better. But remember shenanigans happens in every city.
Amazingly true… Not one positive review of our government officials, it’s time for a coaching change, the U did it now the City beautiful needs to do it. Hit the road Pete & Miriam and don’t you come back no more no more
Good grief.
This city is acting like a Klown Kops costly entertainment venue.
The money WE THE TAXPAYERS are hemorrhaging is beyond belief.
Every time I turn around news media is advising us YET AGAIN of wasteful, undisciplined excesses of money tossed every which way but at what is needed. And, NO, that damned “mobility hub” is an obnoxious joke on the City Beautiful and it’s residents. Beautiful design for SOMEWHERE ELSE.
i will eventually have to downsize from my lovely home. Someone give me a good reason to stay in the City Beautiful, aside from our excellent first responders.
Apropos a past discussion on the new blue recycle containers. I said they were too big for the weight. Yesterday I was vindicated. I put newspapers and magazines in it. Took me several trips. While in my kitchen I watched the crew come up and in disgust refuse to clear it. He had no more room in his recycling cart. Has it ever occurred to someone in admin to actually talk to the staff members about THEIR impressions on equipment choice? I called and it was readily collected, now I am left wonder if my efforts to recycle paper etc actually GO TO RECYCLE when picked up as an extra trip…. SMDH over the city these days
Please, please Mr. Mayor & Commissioners, OUT with Iglesias, Ramos & Trias, too many mistakes always in favor of Developers, Hospitality Groups, Business Developers, etc., etc. You need to Clean House before the next elections!!! Some of you try to do a good job and in the best interest of the residents & the city we love but that is not Enough, Clean House or you might be voted out!
What a complete waste of time, energy, money, and reputation. The City appears to be a Ship of Fools. I’m so disgusted. Time to sink this Titanic.
Ok, folks. Please note this:
There is so much going wrong in Coral Gables
that these bad decisions make one wonder: Are the Mayor and Commissioners stupid or are they corrupt? Gotta be one or the other.
So, Ariel, we mere taxpayers are calling on each Commissioner and the Mayor to disclose to the public their last five years’ tax returns. You should join in this call, Ariel.
Recall the Mayor and the 4 commissioners. Clean house.
Banana Republic at its best.
Has anyone heard from the Mayor? Crickets.
The residents allow incompetence and corruption in their local government.
The City Manager Peter Iglesias and the City Attorney Miriam Ramos have a big smile on their faces.
The Mayor and the 4 commissioners also have a big smile on their faces.
Cubans & politics= guaranteed corruption quite often especially in this banana republic town, this is a team effort commission will not correctly show em the door. Why are there so many attorneys desperately seeking election to the gables for a measly paying 30k job? They use their city position to commingle while benefitting financially & ignore their boss the gables citizen-what a buffoon show.
Let’s wait for the facts and details of the deal before deciding whether the city messed up. No one commenting on any of the blog posts concerning this matter have any facts showing who was right or wrong. Just the same old complaints: “Iglesias sucks”, “Ramos should be fired”, “city bureaucrats ignore residents’ concerns” and “commissioners and the mayor forget for whom they work”. This all has a certain degree of truth, and, admittedly, the city has been off the reservation on many issues for some time now.
This is the time to put Reagan’s adage (“trust, but verify”) to work. If the city does not give residents the information needed to verify, that will prove the city did not get a good result for residents. Let’s wait for the information to become public. I hope all of it does. Elections are next spring and quality candidates need to start campaigning.
City Manager Peter Iglesias and City Attorney Miriam Ramos have made many bad decisions. The taxpayers have paid plenty for their mistakes.
It must stop, now and not tomorrow.
The commissioners must cancel them immediately or we will cancel the commissioners, either with a recall or at the next election.
A predictable clown act and more egg on the faces of the city’s appointed officials who continue to embarrass us, the residents who pay their salaries with more outside counsel receiving outrageous fees to counsel and cover for the incompetence and inefficiencies of the City Attorney and City Manager. If they would focus on running the city instead of trying to figure out how to shut down Gables Insider, one that consistently and objectively exposes the clown show in City Hall. Commission, three of you are needed to stop this by voting to terminate both city attorney and manager. WaWa, Country Club, Bob’s Burgers, Trias’ zoning errors favorable to developers, Peter’s disneyesque mobility hub fantasy and budget miscalculations, among many others. It has to stop. The commission needs to stop the sellout of our interests. What clown act will follow this one?
It appears the City got caught trying to bludgeon a company with whom it could have settled its dispute amicably without incurring outside legal fees.
Talk about overkill.
“Bob, give me a side of suing with that burger.”
Truth in advertising suggestion: Let’s rename The City Beautiful: The Hamlet Hapless.
In the settlement, how much will the taxpayers pay for the mistakes of City Manager Peter Iglesias and City Attorney Miriam Ramos? Will it be another Mobility Hub and Wawa?