By Caitlin Doermer
Buena Vista might be building a pavilion at Vista Links Golf Course.
Members of the Vista Links Ladies Golf Association recently proposed a pricing and construction plan to city council. The group says the structure is a necessity during tournaments. It could also be used as a venue for events and serve as shelter for golfers during bad weather.
The pavilion would take the place of a tent that was destroyed in a snow storm three years ago. City Manager Jay Scudder said an insurance company paid the city $14,000 to cover the cost of the damage. The women’s golf group wants to use that money, and an additional $10,000 in donations, to pay for the construction. One member told The News-Gazette that the group planned to raise the money by teaming up with the Buena Vista Lions Club, collecting money in a jar and hosting a fundraising tournament.
The golf course has already caused the city a series of financial woes. In 2010, Buena Vista defaulted on the $9.2 million loan used to build the course. Because the municipal building and the police station had been put up as collateral, the city was on the verge of losing its municipal assets. Scudder said Buena Vista must pay $661,000 each year for the next 35 years to cover the debt.
Plans for the pavilion are not yet finalized, but Scudder said the council is likely to approve the proposal at its next meeting.
“I think it’s a very good cooperative effort and I think it’s worth the city investing,” Scudder said.