$1.6 Million Weatherwax Deal
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Government
Forum Name: City Council
Forum Description: Discuss individual members and council as a legislative body.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5851
Printed Date: Apr 28 2024 at 5:50pm
Topic: $1.6 Million Weatherwax Deal
Posted By: John Beagle
Subject: $1.6 Million Weatherwax Deal
Date Posted: Sep 17 2014 at 10:25am
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Ed Richter of the Dayton Daily News is reporting that the $1.6 million sale of Weatherwax Golf Course closed last week, and the property has been transferred to its new owner, a Hamilton auctioneer who says there is a 50 percent chance that it will remain a golf course in 2015. According to old reports the city is losing around $150k per year on the course not including a $250k annual debt payment for improvements done on fairways several years ago. City Manager Doug Adkins expects the sale will result in a savings to the city up to $400k/yr. When I last spoke to Dave Tieman, the golf pro/manager, he was neutral on if the course would open next year. Also the paper is reporting that revenues this year are on par with last year despite an increase in rounds played. I played out there last week and the course was in good condition. Personally I would feel a loss if Weatherwax was ever to close. ------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Replies:
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Sep 17 2014 at 1:10pm
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Will have to get out there If it goes, this would be a huge loss/mistake imo Outstanding public facility that priced itself too low I belong to a nice private course(also seriously struggling), but still pay to play Weatherwax. I would really miss this place. The Weatherwax family is sad and disappointed. City should have given their gifted land back to them imo, and treated the family very poorly throughout this process. |
Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Sep 17 2014 at 3:32pm
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50/50? It sounds like there has been no significant change in public use of the course. Did they think there would be a giant increase..and why? It smells like a plan to turn the property into another use.
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Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Sep 17 2014 at 9:45pm
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It is predictable. The buyer said he would do what it required to make a profit. I'd say more 80/20 build houses, with a nine hole course, or 18, if an upscale development can economically be supported.
------------- 'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Sep 18 2014 at 9:08am
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I think the smarter option for the city was to keep 18 of the 36 holes and sell, subdivide the rest. |
Posted By: Alien
Date Posted: Sep 30 2014 at 4:54pm
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I played golf at Weatherwax over the weekend - probably for the last time before it closes permanently. It did not take long for the Myron Bowling to get his auction signs up. Check out the November 15th auction liquidation details at www.myronbowling.com. After the City paid off their debt and sale obligations, they received less than $100,000 out of the sale. Another example of great decision by Council. Pathetic leadership! |
Posted By: 409
Date Posted: Sep 30 2014 at 5:16pm
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http://myronbowling.com/Auctions/Weatherwax-Golf-Course-714C50.html?LayoutID=23 http://myronbowling.com/Auctions/Weatherwax-Golf-Course-715C50.html?LayoutID=23 ------------- Every morning is the dawn of a new error... |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Oct 01 2014 at 9:17am
So the whole thing is gone after this year? ------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Alien wrote:Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Oct 01 2014 at 9:50am
| I thought maybe the new owner would retain an 18 hole course and develop the rest. But auctioning off all the equipment tells me the golfing is finished. What would go out there -- houses? |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Oct 01 2014 at 11:35am
------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Oct 01 2014 at 11:36am
------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Oct 01 2014 at 11:37am
------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Oct 01 2014 at 11:41am
------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: sportsnut
Date Posted: Oct 01 2014 at 1:22pm
| What a sad day. I no longer live in the Middletown area, but grew up on Mosiman road. Learned to play on that course and would play it whenever coming back to town. Lots of wonderful memories from that facility. This stinks. |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Oct 01 2014 at 2:24pm
Very sad day. I loved this course. I will try to get out at least once more before they close for good. The course is still in very good shape.  ------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Oct 01 2014 at 5:26pm
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My favorite public course anywhere A local gift and treasure given away like just another decayed structure in the area formerly known as our downtown. Another bad decision by Council/Admin, which was plagued by a non-workable employee pay structure imo. |
Posted By: Stanky
Date Posted: Oct 01 2014 at 8:55pm
| SJ, are you referring to course director Tieman making over $70,000 when there are golf pro's half his age making half that money? |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Oct 02 2014 at 7:24am
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not directly thought greens fees were too low weren't groundskeepers on city wage/benny packages? not particularly promoted well imo but I am not close enough to know that much about it so I should probably just shut up though I also want to play there again and will miss this gem of a local treat |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Oct 03 2014 at 10:04am
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spider, you raise several good points. I think someone who knew how to run and promote golf courses would do very well and be very profitable. Golf is on the downswing right now. All golf courses left standing after this downturn will become gold mines. We need someone with vision and marketing experience to take over Weatherwax Golf Course. ------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: FmrMide81
Date Posted: Oct 03 2014 at 10:58am
| At this point what you need is someone who can disable bulldozers-cuz the fairways and the rough are about to become one and the same... |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Oct 07 2014 at 3:04pm
And the sign says "Business Opportunity" ------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |
Posted By: bumper
Date Posted: Oct 09 2014 at 8:33am
City Manager Doug Adkins reviewed the various accomplishments of the city in 2014 that included the sale of the Bank One/Goetz Tower, the former Manchester Inn, the Sonshine Building, Se bald Park, Weathercocks Golf Course, yo ED!! what you smoking??? closing the city’s public housing authority, placing the Community Center under CBI leadership and an increase in income tax revenues... Mr. doug how in the world can you call those accomplishments?? geeeez !!!
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Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Oct 09 2014 at 10:44am
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What house did Mr. Adkins buy in Middletown before his contractual date of 6 months of taking the job.....or is he just commuting, and living a few days a week in an apartment. Probably the latter. I'd last .5 day on accomplishments he cited in the private sector before being fired. Oh how I wish I had studied for the MPA, and been a city manager, retired at 50, triple dipped, and never had a day of stress from job related issues. ------------- 'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill |
Posted By: middletownscouter
Date Posted: Oct 10 2014 at 8:26am
| Doing a search of real estate records on the Butler County Auditor's website, it does not appear that Mr. Adkins owns any real estate in the city of Middletown or Butler County in general. |
Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Oct 10 2014 at 9:04am
| There are plenty of nice homes available in Middletown with 4 bed rooms at a reasonable price less that what he's asking for his.Some in the Oaks and Manchester Manor. What's he waiting for? Unless he's upside down in his mortgage. I don't think that's the case. IMO |
Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Oct 10 2014 at 10:04am
| I've thought from the beginning that Adkins is not moving here. At most he would rent a cheap apartment and claim he is a resident. |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Oct 10 2014 at 2:29pm
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Five minutes of quick research will give you his address in Mason and then you can see that Doug's house is on the market. Cut the guy some slack. I found the budget presentation thoughtful and goal-oriented. One of the best I've seen in a long time for the city. http://sibcycline.com/Listing/CIN/1411037/5458-Concord-Crossing-Dr-Mason-OH-45040" rel="nofollow - http://sibcycline.com/Listing/CIN/1411037/5458-Concord-Crossing-Dr-Mason-OH-45040 |
Posted By: Mike_Presta
Date Posted: Oct 10 2014 at 2:55pm
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Dougie's current home is <***GASP***> VINYL SIDING!!! Are Kohler and the Historic Commission aware of this???
------------- “Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012 |
Posted By: Miss Kitty
Date Posted: Oct 10 2014 at 3:13pm
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The house looks about as boring as Doug does! Maybe he's waiting for the Bank One/Goetz Tower condos to be finished or even the Journal Building condos! |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Oct 10 2014 at 4:48pm
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lol--tough bunch here I would be wary if moving here for the first time while a very nice home can be found for low $$, job security and quality of life are huge factors then throw in a reasonably large family and it becomes a very important decision he didn't cause the majority of our mess, and gets a chance to fix it time will tell.... |
Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Oct 10 2014 at 5:05pm
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if YOU were moving here now with a large family and had Mr.A's income range, where would YOU locate, and how much would YOU spend? Where would you send your children to school? just wondering, since we are all pretty familiar with the community--fair ?? |
Posted By: Miss Kitty
Date Posted: Oct 11 2014 at 9:30am
| Although Mr A didn't create all of the problems, he did make a choice to move here with his family and is being paid well to do just that. There are plenty of nice neighborhoods where he can purchase a home. Now that he is a Middletown Boy, it would only be proper to send his children to Middletown City Schools. I believe if you work for a city you should live in that city and send your children to their city schools and that should go for ALL city employees, not just the city manager. |
Posted By: swohio75
Date Posted: Oct 11 2014 at 1:27pm
It is a fair question. I'd try and stay in the $185-$240k price range. Really isn't a reason to go beyond that. As far as neighborhoods, if I were he, I would consider homes around the old hospital and/or the rosedale/milton/fleming area, depending on taste. I think it would send a good message if he picks an older, more central neighborhood, indicating his has faith in Middletown's established neighborhoods. It would also put him closer to the City Building. As far as schools are concerned, if he purchased a home in Renaissance, kids would go to either Franklin or Lebanon, spending on which section of the neighborhood the house is in. Personally speaking, I see no issues sending kids to Middletown. Making education a priority begins in the home, and kids can excel in the MCSD. |
Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Oct 11 2014 at 2:29pm
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He'll but Bill Akers Sr house on Rosedale. He'll send his kids to Fenwick. He'll watch Middletown continue its decline, while hiring mothpieces, pr interns, ED staff, to tell others how Middletown was in the past, but turning the corner. In other words, same story the past 30 years. When is the HUD announcement coming by the way, the press release delayed for months. ------------- 'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill |
Posted By: Talking Heads
Date Posted: Oct 11 2014 at 3:06pm
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He will take his glorious time in selecting a new home. After all, HE IS the City Manager. We go by Mr. A-Almighty's rules now, even though we's all know this is just a stepping stone to the next gom'ment job. He continues to hide behind sheep's cloth. He is not a Shepard. Him pushing the sale of Weatherwax in the first place is another Sin, not the success he preaches. He thinks we dumb. |
Posted By: VietVet
Date Posted: Oct 11 2014 at 6:10pm
Look north and east.....Oaks, Manchester Manor, DiVinci Dr. Areas around Thorn Hill, Rosedale from Milton out to Breiel are nice, older neighborhoods. Dorset, Eaton Dr. McGee- very nice older homes. As swohio mentions, the old hospital area has great appeal. Sadly, as time goes by, the neighborhoods around Euclid and Kensington, once very nice, have lost a step or two in prestige. Like stacked dominos, the neighborhoods starting south and west and heading north and east are falling. Kids go to Fenwick or Monroe schools if possible. Middletown public is not a choice if quality is important. Too many indicators as to a poor to mediocre education to be had here. Not at all like it use to be. ------------- I'm so proud of my hometown and what it has become. Recall 'em all. Let's start over. |
Posted By: over the hill
Date Posted: Oct 12 2014 at 6:23pm
| Speaking of the Sec 8 fiasco: I suppose most have forgotten the lies and deception on that and we know how that ended. He can blame it all on Judy saying he was just "doing what he was told" but that only goes so far. Too many nasty thing from his office to believe it was all Judy. He loved the power and he's loving this power even more. Saying all the right things to win over as many as he can. Wel'll see if a tiger can change his spots. Sec8 is gone. Officially Nov 1 . Nelson & Nelson gone Jan 1. So I've heard. |
Posted By: Rhodes
Date Posted: Oct 15 2014 at 4:03pm
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Not sure if this was posted yet or not, but just ran across the listing for Weatherwax up for sale. $2,250,000 http://www.comey.com/p/5401-Mosiman-Rd-Madison-Twp-OH-45042/mls_cincy/1421906" rel="nofollow - http://www.comey.com/p/5401-Mosiman-Rd-Madison-Twp-OH-45042/mls_cincy/1421906
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Posted By: Alien
Date Posted: Oct 16 2014 at 11:39am
| Kinda got off topic with a discussion about Doug's house. I am hearing that a golf course operator has been working with Bowling on a lease for next year but doesn't sound too positive. |
Posted By: 409
Date Posted: Oct 16 2014 at 5:02pm
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From MJ: Weatherwax to remain golf course in 2015 Middletown golf pro Jim Kraft signs one-year lease with property owner MIDDLETOWN — Weatherwax Golf Course will remain a golf course — at least for another year — after a local golf professional finalized a deal Thursday with the landowner to lease the property through November 2015. Jim Kraft, of WMVH LLC, signed a one-year lease with Myron Bowling Auctioneers, Inc., to keep Weatherwax open as a golf course. Both parties declined to disclosed the value of the lease agreement, but confirmed that it goes into effect Nov. 3 and runs through Nov. 1, 2015. Myron Bowling, a Hamilton auctioneer who bought the 36-hole golf course from the city of Middletown for $1.6 million, said Kraft has an option to continue to lease the property “for as many years as he’d like to after that.” “Everybody wants a golf course, and now it’s a golf course again,” Bowling said in a phone interview with the Journal-News. “If you want it to stay a golf course, then go golf.” Some residents and local golfers worried that Weatherwax might be leased or sold for some other use. When Bowling closed the deal with the city last month for Weatherwax, he indicated there was a “50-50 possibility” that it could re-open as a golf course next year. In fact, an auction for the property, equipment and other items was scheduled for Nov. 15, but after the deal with Kraft, the event has been canceled, Bowling said. He said nothing, including golf carts and other equipment, belonging to the golf course has been sold. Bowling confirmed there were parties other than Kraft interested in Weatherwax, and at least one person had a use other than a golf course in mind for the land located in Madison Twp. “But that didn’t come to fruition,” Bowling said. “We were on a timeline, and he (Kraft) had a ready offer so we kept it a golf course.” Kraft, 57, of Middletown, has 28 years of experience in the golf industry, which includes having been a golf pro at Pleasant Hill Golf Club since 1988. He said his motivation for leasing Weatherwax is simple. “I didn’t want to see it close, and I thought it was a good business opportunity,” said Kraft, who plays Weatherwax about twice a week during the golf season. “When I saw the auction sign up at Weatherwax I asked them in they were entertaining anyone on leasing the golf course, and they said yes.” Kraft said the deal took about three weeks to negotiate after he first approached Bowling about the lease. He said his next steps will be to familiarize himself with the grounds and course operations. Kraft said he plans to keep just about everything the same at Weatherwax, but hasn’t made any final decisions about staffing yet. Dave Tieman, the longtime golf professional at Weatherwax, will work his last day there on Nov. 2. “It’s going to be a privilege to serve our customers and the Middletown area,” said his brother David Kraft. “We are really looking forward to it.” City Manager Doug Adkins said Thursday any plan that keeps the golf course open and available to the public is great for the citizens of Middletown. “I hope the course remains open for years to come and wish any operator good luck in their endeavor,” Adkins said in an email to the Journal-News. ------------- Every morning is the dawn of a new error... |
Posted By: Dean
Date Posted: Oct 17 2014 at 1:26pm
| Lets go play golf and keep it open? |
Posted By: John Beagle
Date Posted: Oct 17 2014 at 2:01pm
Maybe a MiddletownUSA outing!  ------------- http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle Middletown USA News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio. |