Local restaurateur offers to lease Little Falls golf clubhouse; council asks staff to negotiate while keeping city-run option

Carrie Bleckinger Corta, owner/operator of Carrie's Bar in Little Falls, presented a proposal to lease and operate the Little Falls Golf Course clubhouse at a City Council special work session on March 17, 2025. Her plan would convert the clubhouse to a full-service restaurant, banquet facility and bar, provide catering and operate the beverage cart and snack shack.

Carrie said she would start “very aggressive” marketing and hoped to open as soon as licensing and approvals allow; she noted the liquor-license timeline in her planning and said she had staff recruitment underway. She told the council she wants to produce year-round business from events, tournaments and leagues and that she would “get people in there” to help the venue reach sustained use beyond the golfing season.

Staff summarized a one-page term sheet Carrie provided: a proposed lease starting at $2,500 per month in year one, a five-year initial term, and annual increases tied to inflation (staff estimated roughly 3–4 percent). The term sheet also proposed use of the basement for storage and requested that the city not be required to install tap lines; staff flagged that Carrie is not seeking to operate under the city liquor license and would apply for her own license.

City staff explained the context: council previously directed staff to pursue running the clubhouse in-house and had advertised for manager candidates. The agenda item was added to the work session because the council president asked to hear the outside proposal. Alex, city staff, said the term sheet was finalized shortly before the meeting and staff could pursue negotiations with Carrie if council directed.

Council debate focused on timing, taxpayer risk and revenue sharing. One council member said a private operator would bring rent and tax revenue: “If Carrie runs it, we're gonna get $20,000 in tax. We're gonna get $2,500 a month,” that council member said. Other members cautioned that the city has made capital investments in the facility (including an interfund loan and building depreciation) and therefore the city bears some financial risk even if a private operator is selected. Several council members emphasized the urgency of opening the clubhouse early in the season to avoid losing members and bookings.

Concerns discussed included whether the operator should share upside revenue with the city, the length and terms of a lease, and how the city would monitor contract performance. Staff and council members expressed interest in seeing a draft lease and financial scenarios comparing (a) a city-run operation with a hired manager and (b) an externally operated lease.

After discussion, the council gave direction to staff to negotiate terms with Carrie Bleckinger Corta while continuing to prepare the city-run option and necessary job recruitment. Staff said it would return draft lease language and comparative financial information at a follow-up meeting or special session so the council could decide which path to pursue. No formal lease award or final vote occurred at the work session.