Citizens and local officials and media were invited to the Annex building Thursday the 1st to a meeting involving the future of the former Glen Garden's venue. The last month or so has seen what many residents are calling a heartbreaking sight as large construction trucks were filled with steel and dirt from the former Glen Garden's Stage and grounds as the city's sale of the property finalized and the new owner was quick to level the entire area including the closure of the Glen Lake Beachfront that usually is a tourist stop as autumn arrives and warm weather is slowly slipping away.
The property which reached a final sale price of $5.9 Million was the city's final option on a fast fading attraction that saw it's largest loss in over 30 years of use as a festival grounds during a deal with VF Productions as a test for the properties value as a venue. The Glen Fest event brought in a final 23% loss compared to prior years and the VF Company pulled out of the sale citing the venue to be too high a risk for their company to take on. In the wake of the event newly installed towers and rigging was left for the city to clean up. The city left the property as is until this past late September when another interested party began deals with the city of sale.
The property officially finalized sale Monday with the new owner, only disclosed as "private buyer" by the city, began leveling the area when the deals had been started and took over the entire costs to clean the land and leaving nothing for the city to pay for. This Thursday residents had the open chance to see and meet the new owner and be given a basic summary of the new intended use of the land.
The owner entered on the Annex stage to their own soundtrack and made the environment already seem like a show, but opened jokingly with comment of " That's how you enter a room ladies and gentleman". The fears many resident's commented prior to the meeting was that the land was now sold to developers who would build high rise living units or that it would be simply left empty. The owner who personally introduced herself as Jag spent the first half of what would be well over two-hour meeting introducing herself and making no secret her straightforward attitude.
The main details of this time was the sale in which in a surprisingly earnest tone, all who attended got glass door access to the sale. The final numbers come to a full $7.9 million to the city which will be divided by the city into budget zones that city officials will draft in future city hall meetings. This amount was to include the entire Glen Garden's complex initially for sale and the added terms of ownership of the Glen Garden's Botanical Gardens and Annex. The terms included are "too good to be true" councilman Miller stated after the meeting. " We have been anxious of this entire sale for the past month, but are left with few options and have been given highly positive reports from the seller and her legal staff" Miller added.
The terms Miller speaks of is that while Jag, whom refused to be referenced in any other form than her first name, owns all controlling aspects of the entire Glen Garden's Complex; she had written provisions for the Annex and Botanical Garden's to be fully operated and maintained by the city council as it has always been but utilizing a new budget pulling funds directly from an account underwritten by Miss Jag. This leaves the city responsible for the annex and gardens with zero financial burden and keeps operations at these facilities unphased by the transition.
The terms of the former Glen Garden's venue was accompanied by images of other examples of a grand master plan that as described was " bringing back the essence of freedom of music and being". The current land will be finalized with new turf and landscaping by the end of October while a new "open air" stage system will be erected now facing 90 degree's from the original stage location. Miss Jag explained that the stage covered the city's waterfront and that while very noticeable to residents along the lakefront as a " 1900's Drive In Theater Screen"; it will be temporary until a survey is complete on viable designs of a more shell style stage is place. Seating will be grass area with the option to "carry in some mobile seating" by event go-ers.
The terms of sale leaves the venue as the risk for the city as while they will receive 100% of all sales during events at the venue; the pricing system and decision of performances is still under the discretion of Miss Jag. A proposed one-time Gate fee is to be put in place giving those attending free range of the stage and ride area with no additional cost other than ride fares. The former price system relied on the venue's show ticket sales for over 75% of total event income. This new system will eliminate the separate ticket revenue for shows and while again the city will incur zero operation costs, some officials fear increase in crown control issues and ability for people to evade the gate fees.
Miss Jag expressed a very positive and insightful vision of the Glen Garden's acting a a open air place of community and peace. Allowing the same environment of festivals in the United Kingdom which allow patrons to simply sit on a green space conversing or relaxing even when no show is being preformed. "This city has lost it's edge over other venues due to commercialization and a main drive to get ahead the red thru a out-dated venue trying to be the next Hard Rock Live" stated Jag during the presentation.
Many residents had questions and each was met with smiles and detailed and very personable answers. Many feared the cost to be tossed in their lap to which Miss Jag's response was "I'm the Donald Trump of Metal and Shock Rock.... I make so much doing things that get me banned from US states and entire countries. It's my life and my passion of music and to be quite honest a party that means more than some {expletive} green in my pants".
" I'm sure some of you have seen me around.. a LA Resident just chilling in your city and I've given to a few businesses and people in the city. Look around you and you will see no big media! It's Me, Yourselves, and the local news who wanted to get a good story for the evening. I bought this property to save it from that big man wanting to make your city a mass hotel. Let's face it.. this city deserves a lot more than that and my money will always keep adding up. Your city however is in a national blood-letting of cash and you are all paying for that and mistakes of people who aren't there for you. -- I am no matter if I stay or head back to LA, the accounts set up for the city will always keep this area running as a now peaceful place to rock out or just watch the lake." Jag concluded before many stood to applaud her first appearance as the newest big investor in SouthStar Glen's future.
Officials did not have answers to a common question about the New Years Eve show or if the timeline accounts for the show being held. A project for the city that will bring the latest in stage and show equipment and vendors will to the average person seem like the smallest chance and yet when finished is projected to be the city's first ever fully paid $25 million revitalization in an area that has been the center of the city since the creation of the Glen Garden's space during the early 60's.
The city has issued a notice to all residents that both the Annex and Garden's are open during the construction of the new venue with the entrance now located off the 76th block of Elm Street. SouthStar Police Department is asking resident's refrain from parking anywhere within the 76th block around the venue and placing a boating restriction within the beachfront area until further notice. "This is to allow access to construction vehicles and safety as they start using cranes to erect the new stage system" added Police Chief Relens.
