Tamarac is expected to complete its controversial purchase of the Shaker Village Clubhouse property in the coming weeks, city officials said Wednesday.
The remains of the hurricane-damaged structure, built in the 1970s, are expected to be torn down to make way for a city-run community center at the 350-plus unit condominium community off Commercial Boulevard.
“After almost two years, staff is ready to proceed to close on the Shaker Village property,” Tamarac City Attorney Hans Ottinot said at Wednesday’s commission meeting.
In July 2023, commissioners voted 3-2 to purchase the 2.4-acre clubhouse property for $1.94 million – more than the roughly $1.25 million at which it was appraised. Grant funds rather than taxpayer dollars are being used to buy the land, officials said.
As part of its land deal with the city, Shaker Village homeowners are required to place $1.5 million of the $1.94 million sale price into an escrow account, which will pay for drainage improvements at the property, Ottinot said.
Members of the Shaker Village Condominium Association have said the community is struggling with debt and that severe drainage problems, roofing, and road issues plague the neighborhood.
The city government’s purchase of the clubhouse land has bitterly divided some Tamarac residents and city commission members.
Critics of the sale characterized it as a sweetheart deal for Shaker Village homeowners, while supporters of the move said it would help underserved residents on the city’s east side.
The city previously budgeted $7.6 million in fiscal year 2025 for the construction of a city-owned community center at the site. Funding mechanisms for future operation of the facility have not yet been determined.
Completion of the Shaker Village deal had been held up by a lawsuit, filed in September 2023 by community resident Tonya Nesbitt. The suit, which challenged the Association’s authority to make the clubhouse sale, ended in May when a judge ruled in the Association’s favor.
Commissioner Marlon Bolton, who lives in Shaker Village, has said he would not accept any benefits from the deal or any other deal regarding Shaker Village and Tamarac.
The Broward Office of the Inspector General previously demanded records from the city about the clubhouse deal but has not announced any findings.
The city is expected to close on the clubhouse property by the end of January 2025.
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