After reviewing several options for the vacated World Golf Hall of Fame Museum building and IMAX Theater, the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to solicit a public-private partnership for the space.
The county is looking for “ideas” for the space.
During discussion at the commission’s March 18 meeting, Deputy County Administrator Jesse Dunn said a public-private partnership would allow the county to maintain oversight of the building and have a say in its future. The agreement would be governed by the state.
In Florida, public-private partnerships are agreements between government entities and private businesses to combine expertise and resources for public infrastructure and services, typically through contracts that outline roles, risks and rewards.
Dunn said a partnership would preserve options to lease the property or eventually sell the improvements.
Other options presented included selling the building outright, leasing it or using it for government offices.
Dunn told the commission that maintaining the Hall of Fame as-is would cost $369,000 annually, including utilities, maintenance and insurance. Replacing chillers, which could be needed soon, and performing pressure washing and painting would require a one-time cost of $762,000, he said.
“The chillers are at the end of life,” Dunn said.
Operating the IMAX theater would add another $165,000 per year, including trademarks, quality insurance and taxes. One-time costs to replace the theater’s screen, projector and other equipment could be as high as $1.56 million, Dunn said.
He added that IMAX is eligible for tourist development tax dollars.
If the county leased the property, it would be obligated to pay $372,000 in annual common area maintenance charges. The government offices option would have waived those fees.
Commissioner Ann Taylor called the property a “money pit.”
“The last thing I want to do is be responsible for our county putting lots of our tax dollars into a money pit,” Taylor said.
“The more I’m learning about this building, it’s going to take a lot. Unfortunately, it’s going to take a lot of money. A lot of our tax dollars, and that’s a huge concern.”
County owns building
The World Golf Foundation closed the St. Augustine Hall of Fame in 2023 and relocated it to Pinehurst, North Carolina. St. Johns County owns the building that housed the museum and theater.
The IMAX theater at World Golf Village announced Dec. 12, 2024, that it had closed.
The foundation also owns the former PGA Tour Productions building, surrounding walkways, the lake at the heart of the complex and parking lots.
A deal for the county to buy the property for $5.5 million expired late in 2024. The stalled sale was attributed to use restrictions.
According to a county report, for 50 years from July 31, 1996, “lands constituting the Hall of Fame/Golf Course Parcels shall be utilized exclusively for the construction, development and operation of the Hall of Fame, an 18-hole golf course and clubhouse improvements and a PGA Tour Productions facility, sports medicine facility, IMAX or IWERKS.”
Developer SJIT Land, the successor of the original World Golf Village developer SJH Partnership Ltd., maintains the restrictions.
Dunn warned the commission that if the county attempted to sell the building, those restrictions could negatively impact its value. Selling the property outright would also reduce county oversight, he said.
Possible litigation
Commissioner Sarah Arnold confirmed the property is eligible for Live Local Act tax exemption, which encourages the development of affordable housing.
“I can’t tell you what show of anger and frustration our residents are going to come through with when we sell it to somebody who doesn’t have our best interest at heart, who turns this into high-density affordable housing,” Arnold said.
Arnold, whose district includes the property, said she has heard the foundation is in litigation to lift the restrictions.
“I don’t know if we’re at a point where we need to discuss joining that litigation, but it is something we should definitely consider,” she said. “This is not going to be worth anything if we don’t do that, in terms of selling.”
At a Jan. 21 commission meeting, Commissioner Christian Whitehurst called the purchase a “rat’s nest.”