SUN CITY – Sun City is 16 years old, and maintenance and renovation costs are increasing.
There is now, and will be, a lot of renovation going on all over the community this year.
Some of the facilities at the two lodges and at outdoor recreational sites are wearing out, breaking down, or becoming obsolete. While 16 years of wear and tear may seem short, we are reminded constantly that the common area facilities are used by dozens, sometimes hundreds, of residents and guests each day.
The Apr. 29 quarterly meeting of the Sun City Association Board of Directors was a long and busy session, with approvals of a half-dozen renovation projects totaling nearly $200,000, a relocation of a major charter club from one lodge to another, and the launching of a common area appraisal to determine if current property liability insurance coverages are viable. Also advanced was a new national marketing plan recommended by the newly formed Marketing Committee.
In March, the board approved replacement of the sliding exterior doors at Fountain View Center and the center entrance at Prairie Lodge, re-sealing of the parking lots at both lodges, replacement of the pier at Wildflower Lake, and replacement of HVAC condensers and other devices on the roof at Prairie Lodge. Work on these projects is expected to be completed in the next 4-6 weeks.
Many of the renovations are in three rooms (the present computer lab in Prairie Lodge, the multi-purpose room at Prairie, and the Willow Room at Meadow View) that are among the most heavily used in Sun City. Many club and staff activities will be displaced temporarily, possibly some permanently, association officials said. At the Charter Club Presidents Council meeting on May 1, several club officers said they need to be notified about these projects as soon as possible so they can plan for relocation or interruptions. Staff members said renovation schedules are now being developed and clubs will be notified as soon as the schedules are complete.
Here is a sound bite report on the projects the board discussed or approved on Apr. 29 – (these projects have been researched by and are recommended by the Facilities Advisory Committee – FAC):
Upgrade of the multi-purpose room (also known as the card room) in Prairie Lodge, at a maximum cost of $70,000. This includes new flooring, new chairs, replacement of counter tops and cabinets, and painting. It has not been announced when this work will be done. This work is part of a long-range, multi-year plan of upgrades to all of the meeting and activity rooms in both lodges.
Relocation of the Computer Club’s lab in Prairie Lodge to the Willow Room in Meadow View Lodge, a much larger room. This will involve renovation of both facilities, at a cost of more than $21,800, according to Dennis O’Leary, board liaison to the FAC. The club will provide some of the funds to complete this project. The club says its repair and educational activities, along with its membership, have expanded dramatically in recent years, and its 600-square-foot room at Prairie Lodge is too small. This project reportedly will take place in July/August.
Resurfacing of tennis and pickleball courts used by two clubs at the Tall Oaks Tennis Center. Cost: about $11,800. Board member Bill Bendick voted no to this project, because he said the low bidder was not awarded the contract. O’Leary said the low bidder did not include work the committee wanted done, and the next highest bid did include it, and the cost difference was $240. There is no information yet on a timetable for this work.
Re-plastering of both the outdoor and indoor swimming pools at Prairie Lodge is underway. This is the first such work at the pools since they were built 16 years ago. Sunset Pools was the low bidder on the indoor pool at a cost of $56,000. The outdoor pool work will be finished in the next week, and the indoor pool work will start about May 11 and take two weeks, according to Dave Tomczyk, facilities manager.
Re-sealing of the Meadow View Lodge parking lot was done this past week. Similar work on the Prairie Lodge lot will be started on the weekend of May 15-16, according to association sources.
Installation of heaters in the four entrance vestibules at Prairie Lodge, at a cost of about $24,800, is to be done in June. This is being done in conjunction with the replacement of two sliding doors at the Fountain View and main central entrances at Prairie Lodge, which is starting this month.
Funding of most of these projects is provided by the association’s capital reserve fund. Money from this $11.7 million fund is allocated annually by the Finance Advisory Committee and Board of Directors to pay for renovation and upgrade projects as necessary.
In other action Apr. 29, the board approved spending $22,900 to hire a property appraisal company to conduct an appraisal of all association common properties to determine if liability insurance coverages are matched properly with actual values of the facilities.
