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Is the Lake Lawn deal good for Delavan?

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The deal to bring Lake Lawn Resort back from the dead hopefully jumped its final hurdle last night before a special meeting of the Delavan City Council.

Jim Drescher, a local philanthropist and former president of Geneva National's golf club, is leading a group of investors who plan to spend $8.6 million to purchase the historic resort from Anchor Bank, which foreclosed on the property last fall.

Drescher spoke before the council last night to hammer out the final details. Reporter Ann Marie Ames' story is in today's Gazette.

One sticking point was the $900,000 that the former owners owed to the city of Delavan for infrastructure improvements for an expansion that never happened.

The council last night agreed to gradually eliminate the assessment. In this era of promoting economic development, the move seems like a good deal.

If a buyer couldn't be found, taxpayers were never going to see the money anyway. Also, the city would not realize any property tax and room tax revenue of the resort remained closed.

The sooner Lake Lawn starts welcoming paying guests, the better off taxpayers will be.

The investment group has about $2 million in cash to get the resort up and running, but they most likely could use more help.

Although they may be working behind the scenes, the Walworth County Economic Development Alliance could be a bridge between the resort and state programs that could help finance the creation of about 300 jobs.

And the re-opening of Lake Lawn will have a positive trickle down effect.

Just as car dealerships prefer to group together, having Lake Lawn up and running can only help the other major resorts, like the Abbey, Grand Geneva and Geneva Ridge.

Drescher says he could sign the deal this week, and open the resort in phases beginning in April.

That surely would be a welcome sign of spring.