Izatys: Some Positive News for a Change!
Just when the Mille
Lacs faithful had heard enough about
the recession, a fidgety stock
market, and an ice barrage on the
Big Pond's South Shore, Izatys came
out of its long slumber Saturday
morning, jolting the local economy
with a potential big boost. Jason
Tollette, a St. Cloud Real Estate
Developer, announced that he and a
consortium of local businesses would
open Izatys for operation this
summer, making speculation official.
Tollette, who spent two years as the
general manager at Izatys during its
peak years, said Blackbrook Golf
Course would open May 1. BayView
owner Rand Syverson and partner
Brandon Niesen, who owns Morningstar
Market in Wahkon, announced they
would open Club IX in mid May with a
full bar and abbreviated food menu
and operate a pool bar on weekends
from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
And local bait shop icon Bill
Lundeen stepped forward to announce
he will run the Marina and Walleye
World for the summer, offering bait,
tackle and fuel services. To top it
off, the Izatys Townhome Association
and the Village at Izatys governing
boards gave approval to fund the
operation of the swimming pool to
complement the total package.
Together, that puts Izatys back into
action after a 19-month layoff.
Tollette said that when Izatys is
filled to capacity in both lakeside
townhomes, beach villas and Village
timeshares that more than 1,000
people occupy the property. He
credited Commerce Bank and its
partners who took title to the
property late last year after Izatys
Resort LLC was liquidated in Chapter
7 bankruptcy in the fall, closing in
early October 2007. Tollette stated
that the bank is injecting more than
$500,000 into to the property to get
it marketable for sale to a viable
owner. He said the bank will payoff
more than $400,000 in back taxes to
Mille Lacs County Monday. As could
be expected, the mood at the Izatys
Townhome Association owner meeting
was festive with the news and owners
cheered and clapped as each local
businessman stepped forward,
pledging service and asking for
support. While there won't be
wholesale improvements, Tollette
said that the sandtraps on
Blackbrook would be redone and that
all stumps would be removed from
that course. Izatys Pro Shop is now
open and offering $500 single
memberships, $850 Couple memberships
and $1,000 memberships for a family
of four. We'll provide you with
phone numbers fo the pro shop, Club
IX and Walleye World when we receive
them. In addition to the resort
opening, Par 5 Drive continues its
pace toward pavement, which is
expected to be completed before the
end of the summer as part of a South
Harbor Township road project. With
the fishing opener still 13 days
away, we might have already seen
this season's biggest catch!
