Ernie Casali stood in a large unfinished room April 29 at the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge No. 2188, pondering the construction project begun in 2014.
These days the project is like an overweight tool belt, dragging Casali down. Part of the building at 110 Gulf Drive S., Bradenton Beach, remains open during the $700,000 renovation, but revenue and membership have slipped during construction and the project is three to five months behind schedule.
“I’m pretty well burned out,” said Casali, who has worked in construction his entire adult life. “I wish I never started” the renovation. “It’s a project from hell and it doesn’t get any better. We’re making progress, but in all reality … this is a very small project and it’s the project from hell.”
Casali said he’s not blaming anyone. The blame lies with “me and everywhere else,” he said. “It is what it is. It will get done.”
The history of the project has more highs and lows than the Gulf of Mexico tides outside the lodge’s back door.
On one hand, having to partially demolish the structure in October 2014 put the project behind schedule. On the other, lodge patrons will get to enjoy rooftop dining. Further, the city commission questioned, then sanctioned the beachfront picnic tables that the planning and zoning board wanted to take away.
Meanwhile the Women of the Moose, Chapter 1601, donated $50,000 toward renovating the bar area. But business losses are stacking up “dramatically,” amounting to more than $200,000, Casali said, but he hopes to recoup it in the first six months after reopening.
Lodge membership currently is about 7,000, including snowbirds. But the lodge is suffering from the nonrenewal of about 1,100 memberships, due in part to the construction project.
The lodge has much going for it: a beachfront location, a rich history and, soon, a renovated facility, including rooftop dining.
Casali and the other lodge members are perseverant. They’re looking forward to a grand re-opening, likely in July or August, with a soft opening hopefully in June.
“Once it’s done, we’ll be literally, probably, beating them off with sticks to keep them away,” Casali said of his loyal members. “It’s going to be the only place to be on the beach.”
I’d like to add that the staff acts like it’s an inconvenience to wait on you. No sense of customer service, what a shame, the location is excellent but everything else is sub par.
Extremely poor service is the issue, myself and several others walked out over the winter because we waited too long to get served!