Yesterday FYI posted a comment asking about the Visitor Center and the potential for it to become a community gathering spot. He since has taken it down, but it left me wondering, would it be a viable option? It's been a while since i walked through their doors, but if memory serves me it's pretty small. Especially when you consider the two offices that were built for the two full time employees it once had. That's all changed, and as Tom noted their hours are Monday-Thursday 9 am till 3 pm (?). I've written before, the Visitor Center was my first volunteer job in Sun City and the first board i had served on. Back in those days, we were free standing; that was life before being purchased by the RCSC (circa 2103). There was one employee and the only way he kept the doors open was to raise enough money to pay his salary and the related expenses. It was originally (in the 90's) located on the corner of 99th and Bell road, where the burger shop is. It was started by a group of local businesses called the Ambassador's. After several years it was moved to it's current location. Paul Herrmann did a great job as the single employee and there were a lot of long-time residents who volunteered. It was a blast to work at, with many of those coming through the doors interested in buying into the community we all loved. I took every Saturday, as many of the older volunteers wanted weekends off, and honestly the bulk of those interested in buying in Sun City, often came by on the one weekend day we were open. A week or so ago, i returned a book to the library and walked over and saw the sign out front with their open hours. I had read that was the case, i was just surprised to see it was the case. Tom's remark's triggered the question/value of the Visitor Center, and more importantly an even larger concern. Simply put, what are we, who are we...as a community? On it's face, that's a simple question and i suspect means more to those involved or embedded in the activities across Sun City. For others, it may mean little to nothing; at all. Can you answer the question?
Bill, I took the post down because it wasn't generating any feedback. Regardless whether or not the current location of the Visitor Center is adequate for even a small community room on a trial bases, I think the bigger issue is the fact that it's closed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I would think that that's when it would receive the most real visitors and not just curious Sun City residents! I wish they had data on how many times the Visitor Center was visited on Friday, Saturday or Sunday only to see a CLOSED sign? The second part of that post was where I proposed to move the Visitor Center, and it's brilliant! The RCSC says they are going to eliminate the indoor spas because they just need to much maintenance, so here's the plan; eliminate the spa located next to the fitness room at Lake View and turn that into the Visitor Center. There is a Facility Associate right there at the fitness room who could entertain any visitors to the Visitor Center all weekend long!!! No need for volunteers, and no need to hire an additional person! It's a win-win! Isn't Lake View, after all, the show-piece of Sun City with Viewpoint lake and Mercer Mountain?
