Coral Gables: A Sham Before Our Very Eyes and How Lies, Politics, and Irresponsibility Led to the Demise of Burger Bob’s and the Coral Gables Country Club

At a recent Coral Gables City Commission meeting, we watched as city manager Peter Iglesias recommended to the mayor and commissioners that they negotiate with Rita Tennyson on a “concession agreement” for the old Burger Bob’s space.

You read that right. And then, in swooped Commissioner Rhonda Anderson (of all people), who moved the commission to accept the manager’s recommendation. That’s right, Commissioner “Straight and Narrow” moved the commission to allow the city to negotiate with a person who defrauded the city, and they all fell in line.

Truth is painfully unpopular these days. And let’s face it, it is painful to think that the city is going to give the Burger Bob’s deal to an individual who ran a shadow catering business out of the old Burger Bob’s, without any of the catering business licenses required under Florida law, and without ever remitting a single cent to the city. And it’s not like the old Burger Bob’s was “paid in full” at the time of its all-too-predictable closure. Nope, they owed the city money that will never be paid.

But wait, there’s more…

Not only did Burger Bob’s owe the city money at the time it closed, and not only is the city going to “give” the project to a person who knowingly disregarded state law and took advantage of the city’s naiveté for years, but they are going to make the residents pay for it too. That’s right! If you live in Coral Gables, the “new and improved” Burger Bob’s is going to cost you at least $550,000. Aren’t you excited?

The city has completed an amazing hat trick of bad government for the books. And this is only Burger Bob’s…

Let’s talk about the city’s “crown jewel,” the country club.

When it became clear that the Liberty Group’s days in Coral Gables were numbered, the city put out a public bid for the lease and administration of the country club. Among the long list of commitments that any interested bidder needed to make was a capital commitment of at least $4. million for the building. That means that whoever wanted to operate the club was promising to spend millions of dollars of their own money to renovate and improve the club. Only one proposal was received.

So, the city put the club out to bid again. And again, only one proposal was received. So there was “someone” out there willing to put their money where their mouth was (and there were a lot of mouths). But alas, the city got shouted down by a small group of people who peddled lies, threats, and misinformation to successfully chase away the only private operator who was willing to invest millions of their own money to bring Coral Gables the city-owned country club it deserves.

“Be careful what you wish for” …right? Here’s what’s in store Coral Gables residents:

1. You will spend at least $550,000 to hand Burger Bob’s over to Rita and her blatant disregard for the law and the city. It was embarrassing to watch coach-Commissioner Menendez try and draw a distinction between a lease and concession agreement. This is a wonderful message to other tenants of the city who were run out for not paying rent, ahem Ortanique…
2. You will spend at least $4.5 million moreto renovate the country club. More because this is on top of the close to $1.5 million the city has already spent on the club’s new roof, and
3. You will have substandard facilities run by people who are way out of their leagues.

TA-DA!

And why? Because small cities have small, petty politics. The manager and the city’s elected officials bent the knee to lies and misinformation. They let their one prospect get chased away because, let’s face it, who wants to spend $4.5 million in a place where vitriol runs the day?

It is said that to know the right thing and not do it is to lack courage. Courage was severely lacking throughout this entire fiasco and now you, the residents, will pay for it. Quite literally.

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