County Balks As Costs Rise For Renovation At Mall

    Lake County is reconsidering its options after estimates to renovate a former retail outlet in the Lake Square Mall more than doubled original estimates. The Lake County Commission on Tuesday, March 28, instructed staff to enter negotiations with the property's owner regarding the potential of the county exiting a recently enacted five-year, multimillion-dollar lease for the former Sears location.
   A combination of higher-than-expected renovation costs and the revelation that there is asbestos in the building ballooned estimates to renovate the space for use by the Lake County Supervisor of Elections from a previously approved $3.5 million to over $8 million.
   The lease doesn't officially begin until this coming June, but the county had already begun to work inside the location.
   The county’s agreement is for five years, at a total of $2.5 million.
   "Can we get out of this lease," asked Commissioner Leslie Campione, echoing concern raised by both the board and Supervisor of Elections Alan Hays, who according to county manager Jennifer Barker feels the cost is too high.
   “He has requested that we negotiate a termination of the lease,” Barker said.
   The county has been looking for additional office and secured storage space for the elections office since last year, as Hays says the county's growing population is resulting in his office outgrowing its current location on US 441 in Tavares. Barker said there might be a chance the county could lease space from a bank adjoining the current elections office going forward, should the county be able to get out of its Lake Square Mall agreement.
   It doesn't appear canceling the lease is an easy option for the county, however. Staff didn't offer any out clauses at last Tuesday's meeting, and follow-up requests to the county regarding the potential of canceling the lease were not clarified by press deadline Tuesday.
   This would leave negotiations with the landowner as the foremost option, with the county realizing it will likely have to pay something to terminate the agreement. Additionally, the county may be in a position to have to return the location to the condition it was in before the county started preliminary work, according to Barker.