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Date Received:6/23/2026 6:28:51 PM
To:citycomm
Cc:Eastman, Bryan M
From:Ben G. Chase
Subject:[EXTERNAL] RE: Ironwood - Gainesville Community Leaders Interest
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One last follow up here, if there is a copy of the exact current bid, just so we have an accurate understanding, that would be helpful too.

 

Sandberg Phoenix

Ben G. Chase

Head of NIL, Sports, & Entertainment

13900 Tech City Circle, Number 415, Alachua, FL 32615

Tel: 352.260.0128 | Direct: 407.353.3216 | Fax: 314.241.7604

 

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message and any attachments are confidential, and may contain information that is privileged, attorney-client communication or work product. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender at 314-231-3332 or by reply e-mail, and delete this e-mail message and any attachment(s) from your system.

 

 

From: Ben G. Chase
Sent: Tuesday, June 23, 2026 6:00 PM
To: 'CityComm@gainesvillefl.gov' <CityComm@gainesvillefl.gov>
Cc: 'eastmanbm@gainesvillefl.gov' <eastmanbm@gainesvillefl.gov>
Subject: Ironwood - Gainesville Community Leaders Interest

 

Hey City Commissioners,

 

I’m reaching out officially as the lead representative of a group of local Gainesville Business Leaders & Owners interested in making a bid on Ironwood Golf Course. We want to respect the process and understand based on the information from the Main Street Daily News article that there is now a recommendation of a 30-day window to submit a proposal.

 

Since last Thursday we have rallied a group of at least 10-12 people as a leadership group, raised silent commitments that should be able to match the current offer, and put together a landing page for the future vision for Ironwood. Our leadership team consists of multiple industry experts who have ran public golf courses in the past, a handful of restaurant owners, and community leaders across multiple industries. Our vision is to build Gainesville a course they can be proud of, that anyone from any background feels welcome, and excited to play.

 

As we are doing our due diligence, we want to confirm the timeline on next steps. Do we need to have a tangible offer within 30 days? If so, we need a good amount of financials and background on Ironwood, if possible.

 

Here are a list of questions we have, and any data your team can provide would be greatly helpful.

 

  1. All data shared with the current bidders.
  2. Does this acquisition include the golf course, all buildings/structures on the golf course (club house, etc), and equipment currently used by the course/club (golf carts, kitchen, etc) and rights to all licenses/permits in place (liquor license, etc)?
    1. Complete list of all assets included in this acquisition
  3. Survey of the Property Lines and Zoning
  4. Any Geotechnical Reports, Flood Planes, Soil Conditions, Sinkhole, Asbestos
  5. Any pending or current lawsuits, liens, or debts
  6. Operation Expenses & 3rd Party Vendor Contracts
    1. Wage & Salaries
    2. Contracts with Landscapers
    3. Contracts for maintenance or future projects
    4. Debt or Contracts for Golf Carts
    5. Insurance Coverages and Contracts (liability insurance)
    6. Utility Bills as far back as possible
    7. Annual Financial Reports for as far back as possible

                                                              i.      For both the golf course and restaurant

    1. Expense Reports for as far back as possible
  1. Sound & Light Ordinances for Course
  2. Operating Hour Restrictions

 

I know above is a lot, but I hope you understand that our group is seriously excited about this and want to make sure our lead investors are comfortable with the financials.

 

Finally, I would love to connect with each of you in person over the next few weeks to share this vision and see what we can do together to make Ironwood something you, and all of Gainesville will be proud of.

 

Best,

Ben Chase

 

Sandberg Phoenix

Ben G. Chase

Head of NIL, Sports, & Entertainment

13900 Tech City Circle, Number 415, Alachua, FL 32615

Tel: 352.260.0128 | Direct: 407.353.3216 | Fax: 314.241.7604

 

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message and any attachments are confidential, and may contain information that is privileged, attorney-client communication or work product. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify the sender at 314-231-3332 or by reply e-mail, and delete this e-mail message and any attachment(s) from your system.