BURGER BOB’S

and a 300-day timeline for completion.

Mayor Vince Lago said that, since its closure, the city has demolished the building’s interior, replaced the roof and hired an architectural and engineering firm to design the project. The city also held a public meeting to discuss the design. “That took months and months and months,” Lago said.

This week, the city is reviewing bids from two contractors. But with snags over the interior design, increased costs for kitchen appliances and warnings that the project is already over-budget, it’s unclear when the city will reopen the unpretentious diner on the Granada Golf Course.

“Here we are a yearand-a-half later, and we haven’t even started,” said newly elected Commissioner Ariel Fernandez.

DESIGN ISSUES

Residents and city commissioners alike were unhappy with the proposed design, which they described as pretentious and out-of-step with the retro-diner feel they had envisioned. Commissioner Kirk Menendez said he would meet with the consulting firm this week to review updated designs that have a “friendlier atmosphere.”

“What was presented is not what is going to be going forward,” Menendez said. “We’re trying to capture the essence of what Burger Bob’s was, so we’re looking for a retro kind of experience, not a modern-day Neiman Marcus look.”

CONSTRUCTION COSTS

Lago expressed uncertainty about how the city will cover the costs for renovations, going as far as to suggest that they might need to choose between paying into pensions and getting new sidewalks, or reopening the restaurant. “There is only so much limited money,” he said.

The city said it is reviewing bids from two contractors: Hands on Builders, LLC and John Bell Construction, Inc. Lago did not disclose details about the bids, but said the proposals would “blow away our budget.” He said the city may need to solicit new bids if they can’t come up with the financing.

Lago cited the cost of kitchen equipment as a major concern, and City Manager Peter Iglesias said construction costs have increased approximately 50% to 60% since this time last year due to supply chain issues.

“We’ll have to make the tough decision of: We are over-budget. Where do we get the money to make sure that this becomes a reality?” Lago said.

TIMELINE

If the city does not move forward with one of its two current bids, the procurement process would take a minimum of six weeks and upwards of three months, Lago said.

Public Works Director Hermes Diaz said it should take about two to three months to secure permits. He also said it could take upwards of six months for certain kitchen materials to become available.

Commissioner Fernandez said the city isn’t treating it like a priority.

“It goes back to the issue that I’ve been hearing about for months,” Fernandez said. “We are discussing items, we’re putting them on the back burner, and here we are a year later and we haven’t gotten anything done. The residents haven’t seen results.”

Diaz disagreed.

“We didn’t put it on the back burner,” he said. “We’ve been working on this very diligently. These things unfortunately do take time ... We’re getting near the point that we’re almost ready to go.”

Tess Riski: @tessriski