Following the rescindment of one management proposal and the rejection of another proposal, the city of Savannah will republish the request for proposal to manage Bacon Park Golf Course following the completion of the existing management contract with EDR Management.
Joe Shearouse, Bureau Chief for the city of Savannah’s Public Facilities, Events and Services Bureau, confirmed on Friday that EDR Management’s Bob Elmore has retracted his company’s proposal and the only other proposal submitted was rejected as non-responsive.
EDR Management has contracted with the city to manage Bacon Park for most of the past 16 years but was scheduled to end its relationship with the city and Bacon Park at the end of the year. But two weeks ago, Elmore unexpectedly submitted an 11th-hour proposal to continue managing the property and contribute to the effort to renovate the struggling golf course.
Citing public criticism and negative commentary in recent weeks as a contributing factor, Elmore elected to revoke his company’s proposal earlier this week. Although he notified Shearouse in a conversation, Shearouse said Friday that Elmore had not formally notified the city in writing of his intention to withdraw his proposal and the request for proposal cannot be republished until Elmore formally withdraws from consideration.
During the past few months, prominent Savannah and Lowcountry businessman O.C. Welch, who worked at Bacon Park when he was 11 years old, has actively advocated for new management at Bacon Park and was expected to submit a proposal to Shearouse to assume the management contract in 2014. Welch did not submit a proposal prior to the original deadline for submission in September, but in recent weeks he has purchased advertising in the Savannah Morning News illustrating some of the more troublesome spots on the unkempt golf course with the headline “Save the Muny.”
“With all the negative and bad stuff that was out there in the community and in print, at my age it was time to spend more time with my grandkids,” said Elmore, 68.
via City to reopen proposal process for Bacon Park | savannahnow.com.
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