Big Bend Jai Alai has not just been sitting vacant all these years with no maintainence, don't forget there were 2 attempts to reopen it within the last 10 years and each time repairs were done and the place was cleaned and repainted, the most recent attempt was a couple of years ago with the joint venture of Soper/Richards, they had started preparing for an opening as a matter of fact on one of my visits to the area I stopped in and an electrician was there working and testing the lights. Within the last week there has been 2 serious inquiries from people interested in purchasing Big Bend and reopening it, in my discussions with management they tell me because of the prior work done the building could be ready and brought up to code for much less than the original $2 million dollars, if everything falls into place Big Bend could be sold in the near future.
Big Bend has a lot of upside because poker and Class II slots were already approved for the proposed quarter horse track which is on hold because of the lawsuit filed by Big Bend, the fronton would be approved for poker and Class II slots, also it's the only game in town, there is nothing else to do in the area and Big Bend would attract people from Gadsden County, Tallahassee, Georgia and Alabama, so don't be surprise if Big Bend is sold in 2010.
