There are three parties interested in restoring the Dardanella in Wasaga Beach to its former glory.
As part of the latest Request For Proposals process to find an operator, three presentations were made to the Wasaga Beach Committee of the Whole on Tuesday afternoon.
The first was from Brian Crombie and Billy Gordon who also want to bring carnival rides back to the beach.
They want to have a kids’ amusement area with a 1947 carousel which has been restored to its original state and also have a teen ride area half-way down the beach at the public locker space complete with a 1950’s Ferris Wheel. They also want the Dard to become a family oriented restaurant with a Tiki bar and volleyball courts in the parking lot behind the building. And there would be a haunted house in the basement which they could open this summer if given approval.
The plan also includes security cameras and more lighting to address safety concerns at the main beach.
The proposal includes paying the town four per cent of Dard sales,15 per cent from the kid amusement area and from sales from the teen ride area as minimum rent. But Brian Crombie says if the town wants a minimum rent, they would sit down with town staff and figure out what they think the sales will be and they would give the town 50 per cent minimum rent no matter what.
The group’s plan includes restoring the dance hall at the Dard next year.
The second proponent is Elusiv Entertainment, the company behind the Electric Elements Festival.
Elusiv wants to invest $1.1 million to renovate the Dard and the dance hall at the back.
They plan to have special events with DJs and some live entertainment at the Dardanella. The proposal includes turning the Dard into a restaurant that would cater to all tastes, not just those looking for a burger and a beer. But the proponent says the Dard may not open this summer because of the amount of work that is needed.
The third presenter was Enzo Grossi, who has been turned down as operator of the Dard a few times this year.
Grossi currently operates Bananas. He told the committee that his track record proves he can run the bar and pay all of his rent and taxes. He plans to open the bar for the July 1st long weekend.
Grossi told councillors he would invest $750,000 in renovations and wants to work with the town on a vision for the Dard. He also mentioned a whole new building on the same site may be what’s needed.
Town staff have already scored the three RFP applicants on technical and financial components and the CAO will now take councillors’ scores from this value added component and will have a report for a special council meeting on Thursday afternoon, which is when council will make its decision on who will get to run the facility.
